iHit the Open Road
by PhunkyBrewster
Summary: "Let's just go," Freddie said. "I want to hop in my car and get on the road. No itineraries. No schedules. Just a bag, my wallet, a map, and you in the passenger's seat." Carly and Freddie take a road trip to visit Sam in Florida. Simple enough, right?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: iDon't own iCarly.**

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When Carly Shay envisioned this summer, the image didn't include her locked in her tiny one bedroom apartment, glued to her laptop and surrounded by various dioramas and empty Red Bull cans. Somehow, she thought that she would get to unwind after a year of nonstop work with a trip or two to the beach, cocktails, a little shopping, and some long overdue quality time with her brother and friends. Instead, she was stationed on the couch in her living room, revising her fourth paper in the past month and fighting the growing desire to crawl into her bed and sleep off the next three days. Is this what she had to look forward to for the next ten weeks?

This was one of the few things she disliked about the Communications department at the University of Washington: the availability of many of core classes was so low that getting into the classes you needed became very competitive, unless you were a senior, who go priority registration. Coming into her junior year, she found herself battling over 500 other students for a course that only held 90 students between the five scheduled classes for the semester. Luck was not on her side during registration this past December and she was beat out of all three of the classes she needed in order to graduate on schedule. This left her with only two choices: either sacrifice her summer by committing to both summer sessions and taking the classes she needed, or she could continue her summer as originally planned and try to register during the normal year, which would probably set her back three semesters. Once she graduates, she'll be entering a cutthroat job market. Based on the competition alone, she decided she couldn't afford to graduate late.

So here she was, Carly Shay the Scholastic Machine, staring at a computer screen on a Tuesday night in her threadbare Girly Cow pajamas, missing the times when summers were fun and stress was only known by adults. She missed Bushwell Plaza. She missed Spencer and her old room and the iCarly studio. Most of all, she missed her friends. Sam was in Florida at a school for the Performing Arts. Freddie went to the same university as Carly, but their conflicting summer schedules and her ridiculous work load made hanging out difficult. She was on the cusp of burning out and neither of her best friends were around to help her recoup.

Her proofreading was interrupted by the loud buzzing of her vibrating cell phone. Thankful for the brief distraction, she picked up her phone and instantly spotted the "new text message" icon on her touch screen. With a light tap of her finger on the icon, a message instantly appeared.

**From: Freddie**

**r u eating, or r u**  
**drowning yourself in work**  
**again?**

**Jun 17, 10:09 pm**

Carly chuckled lightly. She could almost hear Freddie's concerned voice through the screen. He tends to check on her when he knows she has heavy work load, as she is known for skipping meals when she's really focused. She looked at the half empty canister of Pringles sitting on the end table. It wasn't exactly the meal of champions, but it was still food. She flipped the phone open so that she could use the keyboard to respond.

**Yes, DAD, I'm eating :o)**

**To: Freddie**  
**Sent: Jun 17, 10:11 pm**

She set the phone down and grabbed a chip for good measure. Her phone vibrated again, with a new message.

**From: Freddie**

**Pringles and red bull**  
**don't count, Shay :-P**

**Jun 17, 10:12 pm**

Carly rolled her eyes. Sometimes she forgets how well Freddie knows her. She'd even go as far to say that he knew her better than she knew herself, at times. He was also very protective of her, especially since they left home to go to college. Freddie often voiced his concerns regarding the amount of work she burdened herself with, her currently inactive social life, and her poor eating habits. Though she often feigned resistance, she loved how he always looked out for her. It was like they were back home. After a moment, Carly sent a quick reply.

**…shut up!**

**To: Freddie**  
**Sent: Jun 17, 10:13 pm**

She set her phone down and tried to get back to her revising. She wondered how much sleep she was going to be able to get tonight. Five hours, maybe? That would be almost double the amount of sleep she got the night before. There was just so much to do and simply not enough hours in the day to do it all. This was how the majority of the previous semester went: late night after late night, running mainly on junk food, caffeine, and a desperate desire to do well. Initially, she had excused not taking care of herself because she had plans to relax for the summer. Now, however, she had a two-week window after her first summer session to pull herself together and even that time looked like it would be occupied with preparations for the next summer session. She had no clue how she was going to have enough sanity to get her through another year of constant work with very little reprieve beforehand.

A knock at the door caused her to jump a little. She wasn't expecting visitors, especially this time at night. "What time is it, anyway?" said to herself. She looked at the time at bottom right corner of her computer screen, which read "11:01 PM." She hadn't even realized she'd been working that long. She got up and quietly approached the door. Carly looked through the peep hole, but couldn't quite make out the figure amongst the vast darkness. Before she could ask the stranger to identify themselves, he spoke.

"Carly, it's me!" he said. She immediately recognized that the voice belonged to Freddie. Pleasantly surprised, she rushed to open the door. There stood Freddie, in a pair of flannel pajamas and a gray t-shirt with brown flip-flops, holding a brown paper bag. He offered the bag to Carly with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

"Freddie! What are you doing here…and what's this?" she asked as she took that bag and stepped to the side, allowing him to enter the apartment. He stepped forward, gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, and walked inside. Carly closed the door and set the bag next to the laptop.

"That," Freddie replied, pointing to the bag, "is a proper dinner from Lotus Blossoms." He caught a glimpse of the Pringles can next to the computer and laughed. "I knew it! You see? This is why I feel the need to keep tabs on you." He picked up the can and shook it with a knowing look, as if it was all the proof he needed.

"Hey, you only asked if I was eating, not whether or not I was eating a three course dinner!" Carly retorted, even though she knew her reasoning was weak. She removed some of the containers from the bag of their favorite Chinese restaurant. The aroma of General Tso Chicken, steamed rice with vegetables, and egg rolls was enough to make her forget about all the work she had to do for the night. She made her way to the kitchen to get some plates and cans of grape juice. Freddie followed her, though there wasn't much room to join her inside, so he propped himself against the entrance.

"Carls, you know I just care about your well being. You work yourself to death and barely eat a thing while doing so. I'm just worried about you, that's all."

Carly turned around to face him, spotting the genuine concern in his expression. She placed the cans and plates on the counter and stepped to him in order to wrap her arms around his waist in a big hug. He reciprocated by wrapping his arms around her shoulders and burying his nose in her hair.

"I appreciate you looking out for me, Freddie," Carly said, resting her head against his chest. "I'm fine, really. I promise." She noted the faint scent of Irish Spring soap mixed with fabric softener. The combination always reminded her of his mother, who lined all of his drawers with dryer sheets. It reminded her of home and it caused her to grip Freddie's waist a little tighter as she suddenly felt homesick. He gently rubbed her back as they embraced for a few seconds longer. Carly finally pulled away and looked up at Freddie. He smiled and ruffled her hair, causing her to giggle. He always seemed to know how to make her feel better. She returned to the kitchen to grab the plates and juice and headed back to the living room.

"Dinner looks delicious, Freddie. Thank you so much!" she gushed excited. "Do you want me to dish out your plate for you?" She began clearing more space at the coffee table in front of the couch.

"Actually, I wasn't planning on staying too long," Freddie admitted. "I already had dinner with Esther. She's actually on her way to my place right now."

Carly felt her eye give a slight twitch when Freddie mentioned his girlfriend. He had been dating Esther Garvey for about seven months now, which is the longest relationship Carly can remember him having. Before Esther, Freddie casually dated here and there, but there was never anyone he kept around that long. Esther was a pretty girl who was always very cordial with Carly. Before making anything official with her, Freddie sought out Carly's approval. She couldn't find anything wrong her, so she gave him her support. He seemed to be happy enough, so Carly always made an effort to be friendly with her.

Sure, she would have liked to spend more time with Freddie, considering the fact that they haven't spent that much time together in the past couple of weeks, but she understood that the significant other tends to come first. Carly figured she would be spending a lot of time with her boyfriend, too, if she ever found time for one.

"I just wanted to make sure you had a solid meal tonight," Freddie continued. "I promise we'll hang out this weekend, though. Just you and me, okay? I'm sure Esther wouldn't mind sharing me for one weekend."

Carly's eye twitches again. She attributed the twitching fit to all the Red Bull she's consumed.

"Oh, okay, sure," Carly said casually as she picked up one of the plates and cans and took them back to the kitchen. "This weekend, for sure. Tell Esther I said 'hello.'"

"I will," Freddie promised as he gave Carly another quick kiss in her hair. "Eat every last bit, okay? And get some _proper_ rest tonight! I know you haven't been sleeping much. I'm sure whatever you're working on can wait until tomorrow."

"You're not the boss of me!" Carly retorted playfully.

"Always the mature one," Freddie laughed, making his way out the door as Carly followed.

"Well, thanks again," Carly said, sad to see her friend go.

Freddie smiled and tweaked her nose. "I'll call you tomorrow, okay? I mean it, get some rest."

"I will," she promised. " 'Night, Freddie."

"Good night, Carly," he said with a smile and a waive, just before he turned and headed towards his car. Carly shut and locked the door before returning to the couch to dish out her dinner. She ate while watching a little TV, the food already causing some drowsiness. The meal was just what she needed; she could already feel some of the stress subsiding. She looked at her laptop. Freddie was right. The paper wasn't due until Friday. She can afford to get a good night's rest at least once this week.

She thought about how fortunate she was that Freddie was close enough to keep her sane when she needed him the most. She just wished that they could spend more time together, though she wasn't sure that Esther would like that. "_This is exactly why I need Sam around_," Carly thought. "_God, I miss her so much_," She looked at her phone. 11:40, meaning it was 2:40 a.m. where Sam was. She sighed, turned off the television, and began clearing away some of the mess from dinner. She resolved to call Sam after class tomorrow morning, positive that it would lift her spirits.

Carly pulled back the comforter on her queen size bed and slipped in between the sheets. She could almost feel her body hum as it made contact with the soft mattress. It didn't take long before her need for sleep washed over her. Just before she drifted off, she thought of how fantastic it would be to just hop in her car and drive far, far away from dioramas, job applications, and busy schedules. That night, she dreamed of a long stretch of road, the wind in her hair, and a faceless companion in the passenger's seat.

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**A/N: I really hope everyone enjoyed the first chapter! This will be a multi-chapter story, though I'm not sure how long it will be.**

**Thank you for taking the time to read! I hope you take some additional time to review! **

**My goal is to update often. I don't like to see abandoned stories on FF, so I'm going to try not to contribute to the already growing collection.**

**Have a great night, all! Again, please review!**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	2. Chapter 2

The next four days whizzed by in a blur of paper editing, projects, and note-taking. In every class, Carly traded a completed paper or project for a new task or study guide for final exams. This Saturday, Carly found herself at the library in the company of other highly focused students, studying hard for the week ahead. She had a small round table to herself, which was currently hidden under highlighters, correction tape, neon colored flash cards, composition notebooks, and a half empty can of sugar-free Red Bull. Her long, dark brown hair had made its way into a sloppy bun at the crown of her head, held in place with a pencil. After sitting in the same spot for almost three hours, she became increasingly grateful to have opted for a pair of comfy sweats and a simple pink cotton shirt rather than jeans and a cuter top; jeans would have felt to constricting after a while. Besides, she's just studying. Who does she need to look sexy for?

She was beginning to wonder how long this mound of study aides would be able to keep her attention when her phone started blaring a Ginger Fox tune. She scrambled to silence it, acutely aware of the annoyed glares from her fellow schoolmates. Embarrassed and silently cursing herself for not silencing her phone beforehand, she answered in a hushed tone without a single glance at the caller ID.

"Hello?" she whispered.

"Heya," greeted Freddie. "I just drove by your apartment and noticed your car was missing. Can I have three guesses as to where you are on this gorgeous Saturday afternoon?"

"I'm sure it wouldn't take you that long," Carly answered, rolling her eyes and still whispering.

"Well, I'm about to walk into the library, where I assume you currently sit -"

Just then, Freddie appeared at the library entrance with a look pure amusement.

"-at your favorite table in the lobby…which looks like an office supply store exploded all over it," he finished with a laugh as he stuck his phone in his back pocket. He was holding a white paper bag with the word "Bella" printed on the front, in cursive.

"Ha ha ha" Carly said, not bothering to mask the sarcasm. She hung up her phone and jammed it into her tote bag. "Make fun all you want, but I'm determined to make all A's on my finals."

"Hey, if anyone could do it, it would be you, Carls," Freddie conceded, "but none of this will matter if you end up missing the finals by working yourself into a coma." Freddie started packing some of Carly's supplies into her tote. "You're taking a break," he commanded, catching Carly off-guard.

"Oh, I am?" Carly asked, amused.

"Yes, ma'am, you are," Freddie answered, continuing to pack her things. "I have two turkey club paninis and Italian sodas from Bella Café." He had managed to get all of her items into her tote before curiously holding up the half consumed energy drink. "You honestly didn't think this would be a fitting lunch, did you?" he asked.

Carly giggled as a she grabbed her tote from Freddie. "No, I suppose I didn't!"

They headed the short distance to Starkey Green, the large square lawn shared by four residence halls that was often occupied students participating in various leisure: sun-bathing, ultimate Frisbee, reading, there was even a student practicing her trombone. Carly and Freddie found a bench next to the fountain in the center of the lawn. He opened the bag and passed her a panini and a bottle of cranberry Italian soda.

"This would be the second meal you've treated me to this week," Carly pointed out while she unwrapped the sandwich, tearing away a piece of turkey and popping it into her mouth. "If you keep this up, I'll owe you a week's worth of groceries!"

"You don't owe me anything," Freddie corrected, without hesitation. "I don't mind looking after you, Carls. You know that."

"I'm sure a slice of coconut pie from Galini's would change your mind," Carly said with a knowing smile.

Freddie took a swig of his lemon-lime soda. "Well, you know I'm not about to turn down a slice of Galini's pie." They laughed. "Still, it's not required. You're my best friend. I consider it my responsibility to make sure you're alright."

Carly was touched by Freddie's words. She knew he truly cared about her and wished there was a way to thank him sufficiently, and not just for the food, but for almost 10 years of loyal friendship. She rested her head on his shoulder and took a bite from her panini. She felt like there was so much to say, but she couldn't quite place the words. They sat in companionable silence and ate their lunches in peace. The peace, however, did not last long.

"FREDDIE!" a woman yelled from their right. Carly and Freddie lifted their heads and looked towards the direction of the woman. A tall, beautiful brunette was walking towards the pair, wearing a pair of skinny jeans with a gray and white striped tunic and a pair of silver sequined ballet flats. As she approached closer, Carly noticed the woman's flawless make-up, from her smoky eyes to her glossy rose-tinted lips. The woman was carrying a simple black tote that had letters of the Greek alphabet, as well as the name "Esther," embroidered on the front in lavender. Carly thought Esther may have looked a little too made-up for the daytime, but she couldn't help feeling a little self-conscious about her own sweats. She expertly masked her insecurities, however, but plastering a big smile on her face.

"Hey, sweetie," Freddie welcomed as he stood to hug his girlfriend. Esther threw her arms around his neck and embraced him closely. She pulled away slightly in order to place a big kiss on his lips. Carly bashfully looked down at the soda in her lap. She heard the _smack_ of lips separating.

"Hi, Carly!" Esther greeted.

"Oh, hi, Esther!" Carly replied, a little too cheerfully. She didn't know why, but Esther appearing while her and Freddie were supposed to be hanging out for the first time in weeks kind of irritated her. Still, she kept in mind that she was Freddie's girlfriend, and she was certain that Freddie was happy to see her.

"I thought you had a sorority meeting, babe?" Freddie asked, his hands still on her waist.

"It let out earlier than usual," Esther clarified, " so I started looking for you! A friend of mine is throwing this huge party tonight in Cedar Commons and I wanted to know if you wanted to go. It's going to be pretty amazing!"

"Oh…I don't know, Es," Freddie said with a slight step back. "I promised Carly that I would hang out with her this weekend."

"Oh…well…she can come too…if she wants…" Esther's reply left Carly thinking that she didn't truly want her to accept the offer. She also didn't appreciate Esther talking to Freddie about her, as if she wasn't sitting _right there_.

"Oh, it's alright!" Carly piped in. "I have to study some more before finals, anyways. You and Freddie should have fun, though." She did want to hang out with him, but she didn't want to be the reason why Freddie stayed behind.

"_Carly_," Freddie said with a tone of warning. He turned to his friend sitting on the bench. "You've been studying for hours already. You've got to give yourself a break-"

"-Honey, I'm sure Carly knows what she's doing," Esther interrupted with a look that slightly resembled relief. She turned to Carly. "If you change your mind, though, it's on the corner of Fairfax and Holden."

"Thanks for the info, Esther," Carly said, re-plastering the smile from before on her face. Esther turned to Freddie and started to pout her lips.

"Please come out tonight, babe! You missed the last party and I can't show up by myself!"

Freddie rolled his eyes, which was followed by a look of defeat.

"Fine," he relented, though he did not appear excited, at all. "I'll go tonight. Pick you up around 10?"

"Can't wait! I better head to the computer lab. See you later, handsome?" Esther leaned in a gave Freddie another searing kiss. Once again, Carly looked away, feeling as if she was intruding on a private moment. When she heard the familiar _smack_ of lips, she looked up to see Esther pulling away slowly while Freddie had a slightly embarrassed grin on his face.

"Bye Carly! Have fun studying," Esther said with a waive. She turned around and headed towards one of the buildings behind the closest residence hall, her cherry brown hair bouncing in her wake. Carly chugged the last sips of soda and stood up.

"Well, Freddie, I'm going to head back to the library and do some more studying." She tossed away the panini wrapper and empty bottle in the nearest trash can.

"But we barely got to hang outside!" Freddie cried, disappointingly.

"I know, but I really…have a lot to do," She finished lamely.

"Okay," Freddie acknowledged. "Well, thanks for eating lunch with me." He smiled.

"Thanks for making sure I had lunch today!" Carly said as she stepped forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I promise, I'll pay you back somehow."

"Stop that," He insisted. "Like I said, looking after you is what I'm supposed to do."

Carly gave him a smile, then silently left in the direction of the library. For a brief moment, she wished for the peace she had with Freddie just before Esther arrived. Out of nowhere, she remembered the image she saw of her driving away in her car with the faceless companion. It remained with her until she reached the library, heading towards her favorite table in the lobby. The desire to drive away, towards the fading sunset, started to grow. She would call it "The Great Escape".

"I wish," Carly said out loud to nobody in particular as she took her place at the round table and pulled out her flash cards and highlighters. She quickly glanced out the neighboring window and caught a glimpse of a bluebird taking flight into the clear blue sky. For just a second, she was slightly envious.

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**A/N: I am so touched by the outpouring of support I've received thus far! I hope you all enjoyed the second chapter. Please continue to review!**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	3. Chapter 3

"DAMMIT!" Carly yelled as she spotted the parking ticket on the windshield of her green Ford Focus, which was parked outside of Communications building. She snatched the offending slip of paper from the window. She was astounded that her failure to find a quarter to put in the parking meter would cost her $45 when she had only just left the car for four minutes, tops. She let out a cry of frustration and swung open the driver side door. Plopping her tote in the passenger's seat and slamming the ticket on the dashboard, she sped off towards her apartment, ready to crawl under her covers and forget the worst Monday she's had in a while.

The ticket stared back at her throughout the ride home. She had only popped in for a second to speak to her Principles of Advertising professor in an effort to convince her to reconsider the B- she had received on the paper she had worked on all of last week. Professor Farmer staunchly stood by the grade, citing that the work was "informative, but not altogether innovative." The fact that Carly had overslept that morning and was 45 minutes late for Professor Farmer's final didn't help matters. Between the less-than-stellar grade on her paper and being forced to do the final in only 40 minutes (a final, bear in mind, that typically takes an hour and twenty minutes to complete), she feared that she didn't earn the grade that she needed in order to keep her grade point average afloat.

She arrived home and headed straight for her laptop in the living room. "What I need right now is mindless entertainment," she sighed to the empty apartment. Choosing to take a take her mind off of things for a moment, she signed on to SplashFace for the first time in days. After scrolling down midway through the News Feeds, she regretted ever logging into the stupid site. Her eyes caught a status update from one of her classmates, Tyler Swardloff:

_**Tyler BluesBrother Swardloff **is hella psyched! Just found out that I got the Channel 14 internship! This is too awesome!_

That had been the highly coveted internship that Carly was competing for, along with most of the students within her major. She never fooled herself into thinking that she had locked down the position or anything, but the interview had gone really well and she was very hopeful. She remembered calling Freddie right after to fill him in on how optimistic she had been. He had been so confident in her and she had been foolish to believe that she actually had a chance. Sure, there were other internships, but this one would have been an amazing opportunity to network as well as a winning addition to her resume. Needless to say, she was crushed. She was about to sign off when she happened to spot another status:

_**Esther G. **loves her Freddiekins sooooo much! I can't wait for our date in a few hours! Good thing I just bought more of his favorite lip gloss! ;-)_

Carly felt a little nauseous and she couldn't determine whether it was caused by Tyler's news, Esther's informative status, or a mixture of both. "Honestly, Esther," Carly spat while logging off the site, "who effing cares about your lip gloss?" She was happy that Freddie and Esther had a great relationship, but did it have to be thrown in everyone's faces? The excessive PDA in the middle of the Starkey Green, the sickeningly adorable pet names, the constant status updates about her "Freddiekins"… at times, it was vomit-inducing. Add this to the long list of reasons why she avoided the party on Saturday: who would voluntarily be front row to this?

And what kind of nickname was "Freddiekins," anyways? Was he 6-years-old? Even Ms. Benson showed him some mercy. Concluding that her bitter musings were doing nothing to help her awful mood, Carly decided that the best thing to do was study. She glanced at the stack of study guides and materials on the coffee table. She still had three more finals to take through Thursday and a take-home final that she needed to review and submit online. She picked up the guide at the top of the stack, which was for her Media class, and flipped to the third page. She snatched a highlighter from the table and started cramming.

After 30 minutes of studying she found it harder to retain the information. The important dates were too close together, she was mixing up important figures, and she was beginning to catch herself confusing some of the material from the guide with information for entirely different classes. She tried to refocus, but she kept thinking about how her attempts to try hard have failed her lately, between losing the internship and the crappy grade on her Advertising paper. The harder she tried to concentrate, the more she beat herself up for not being able to just _do better_ in the first place. Maybe Communications wasn't the right major for her. It was obviously a career path designed for the successful, and there was nothing about today that made her feel like a winner.

All of a sudden, it was just too much. Her throat tightened and her eyes welled up almost instantly. She covered her face with her hands and began to sob. After months of fighting it, her stress had finally reached its peak. At times like these, she would call Sam or Spencer, but she had been playing phone tag with Sam since last Wednesday and she didn't feel like worrying Spencer more than he already was. She would call Freddie, but for some reason he was the last person she wanted to talk to about all of this. She just needed to battle this out on her own.

As if on cue, her phone rang with Freddie's name and picture streaming across the caller ID. She felt compelled to answer the phone, but she didn't want him to know that she was having a breakdown. She wiped her eyes, took a deep breath, and attempted to reign in her sobs before answering the phone.

"Hey, Freddie!" she said brightly, in an attempt to sound natural.

"Uhh, hey," Freddie greeted hesitantly. "Carly, is something wrong?"

She should have know that she wouldn't be able to fool Freddie. This, however, didn't stop her from trying.

"Wrong? No, nothing's wrong, Freddie," she lied, still sounding a little too perky. "I may be coming down with a cold, though."

"Carls, there's no use in lying to me," Freddie insisted, his voice firm, yet tender. "Your voice sounds all shaky, like you've been crying. You're trying to hide it, but I can hear it. C'mon, tell me. What's the matter?"

Carly was unable to keep the sobs at bay any further. She pulled the phone away from her ear while she cried. Even though she knew Freddie was well aware that something was wrong, she didn't want him to hear her cry. Her phone in her lap, she could hear him desperately calling her name. Trying her hardest to calm herself down, she placed her phone back to her ear.

"_Carly? _CARLY!" Freddie hollered.

"I'm here, I'm here," Carly assured him, her voice still shaky. "I'm sorry, I'm just a mess right now-"

"-Don't apologize," Freddie interrupted. "Look, just stay there, alright? I'm coming over."

"No, Freddie! Don't do that, please!" she begged. This is exactly what she was trying to avoid. She didn't want him over here, saving her once again and making her feel anymore useless than she did at this moment. "I'm just having a really bad day, that's all."

"Tell me what happened," he encouraged. She told him about the day's events, though she left out how Esther's status annoyed her, for what she felt were obvious reasons.

"Carly, sweetie, don't beat yourself up," he gently chided. "Communications is a difficult major to take on and you're doing so well!"

Carly wiped away the most recent tears. "I don't feel like I'm doing well. I don't know, it just seems like no matter how hard I try, it's just not good enough. On top of that, I just miss everyone so, so much. I haven't been to Seattle since Christmas and I just truly miss everyone I love most: Sam, Spencer, Gibby, you - "

"Hey, I'm here!" Freddie reminded her.

"Freddie, it's not the same and you know it," Carly said firmly. "You're in a relationship now. Esther," Carly said, feeling her stomach lurch a little at the name, "is your number one girl now and, eventually, I'm going to fade into the background."

"That would never happen," Freddie denied, almost defiantly.

"Yes it will," she insisted. "And that's normal, Freddie. I'm not mad about it, it's just…I get lonely, that's all."

The line went silent for a while. She could tell that Freddie was trying to think of something to say, but she didn't want to wait for him to come up with something and she was desperate to get off this phone and crawl under the covers.

"Listen, I better let you go," she said, her voice sounding steadier. "Have fun on your date tonight, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Freddie agreed. He sounded so defeated that it only made Carly feel worse. "I'll call you tomorrow, alright?"

"Yeah, okay, Freddie," Carly said, resuming her perky voice. "Bye!"

She didn't wait for Freddie to reply before hanging up. She dragged herself off the couch and sulked all the way to her bedroom, where she slinked into bed and cried into her pillow.

* * *

She pulled herself together over the next three days, mainly because she didn't have a choice in the matter. She buckled down, studied, managed to show up on time for the rest of her exams, and submitted her take-home final. She didn't know how she felt about her performance in everything, but she was certain that she tried her best. All she could do was wait for grades to post, which would probably be a couple days before the next summer session. Until then, her time would be spent applying and interviewing for new internships, getting the necessary books for the remainder of summer, and doing the required reading for the next summer session.

As she exited the Communications building after taking her final exam of the session, she removed her cell phone from her pocket to turn the ringer back on. As she did so, she noticed she had another missed call from Freddie. She hadn't spoken to him since Monday. It wasn't the same as Sam, though, where they just kept missing each other. This time, she was avoiding Freddie. This wasn't meant to be a punishment, as he did nothing wrong. It just hurt her deeply to know that what they had, this incredibly close knit bond, would never last as long as he was with Esther, or any relationship for that matter.

Esther.

Carly could swear that the name left a bad taste in her mouth these days, one of rusty metal. She knew it was silly, but every time she said our even thought the name, her mouth became dry and she would immediately need a tall glass of water or something to wash away the taste of old pennies. It was strange, because she did like her overall, but she just couldn't shake the unpleasant feeling associated with her name.

" '_Esther' is an awful name for anyone, really_," Carly thought to herself as she approach her car in the parking garage across the street. "_Did her mother think she'd be giving birth to an 85-year-old woman?_" Carly was starving, which she assumed was the cause of her mean thoughts. She reached her car in record time, determined to get to her apartment as quickly as possible so she could get some food in her stomach and a nice, tall glass of water.

When she pulled into her complex, she immediately spotted Freddie's electric blue Toyota Corolla. "Shit," she sighed as she turned into her usual parking spot. She should have known that avoiding him would eventually lead to him hunting her down. She peered inside his car, but she did not find him waiting inside. Curious, she swiftly exited her own car and walked straight to her door, leaving her tote in the passenger's seat. When she got there, she could tell that the door was already unlocked. Carly cautiously turned the knob and slowly entered her apartment.

Inside, she found Freddie sitting in her living room, surrounded by all of her purple luggage, which appeared to be packed. She would have found the sight very threatening if it had been anyone else, but because it was Freddie, she was just left with shock and confusion. There was no guessing as to how he had been able to get into her apartment: the spare key she had given him when she moved in was glistening on the coffee table. He stood at the sight of her.

"_Freddie?_ What is going on here?"

"I've packed a good amount of stuff for you, just to save you some time," he said, not really answering the question. "I think I got most of your favorite clothes."

"Freddie-"

"-I didn't touch any of your…lady things, though," he interrupted, slightly blushing. "I'll leave that to you."

"Freddie, what the hell-"

"I took out your trash and put away your dishes, so that's even less to worry about-"

"FREDDIE!" Carly bellowed, finally managing to get his attention. "Please tell me what's going on!"

He took a deep breath and replaced the nervous look on his face with that of determination.

"Carls, consider this your intervention. Or your kidnapping. At this point, I don't care which."

Carly's utter confusion was evident on her face. Usually, Freddie made the most sense out of anyone she knew. Now, he was just one big riddle…a riddle who accessed her apartment, packed her things, and informed her that she was being kidnapped.

"Freddie," she approached carefully, "what are you talking about?"

Freddie stood a little taller and made unflinching eye contact with her. "We're going on a road trip to visit Sam. You can resist all you want to, but I'm not leaving this apartment until you agree to come with me."

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**A/N: Thank you all so much for reading! Please review, if you have a moment!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly.**

* * *

Carly searched for something in Freddie's eyes, some sort of sign that he had lost his mind. That could be the only possible explanation for what was occurring in her apartment. When she looked into his eyes, however, she couldn't find any evidence of him being crazy at all. In fact, all she recognized was genuine concern, mixed with unyielding flexibility on the issue at hand. So, this has actually happened.

Freddie Benson has broken into her apartment, packed her suitcases, semi-cleaned her kitchen, then_ demanded_ that she drive with him to the other side of the country to visit their friend.

No, he had to have lost his mind.

Carly was speechless. She looks at the luggage, then back at Freddie, who continued to stand resolutely, waiting patiently for her to respond. She shook her head as if she were attempting to erase the scene from existence.

"I'm sorry, Freddie," she said, rubbing her temple wit her middle and forefinger, "what did you just say?"

"I said," Freddie began, with a boost of confidence, "that you and I are going on a road trip to Florida to see Sam. I also may have mentioned that you don't have a choice in the matter."

This is the second time she's heard Freddie propose this plan and she still found it unbelievable, so she responded in the only way she thought appropriate.

Carly laughed. Heartily. Because in her mind, there was no possible way he could have been serious.

"O-okay," Carly said as she tried to catch her breath, "I get it. Wow, Freddie, your pranks have definitely come a long way since Ridgeway!" Her laughter was beginning to subside as she wiped away the tear that had escaped. Freddie simply raised a curious eyebrow in response. "So, I'm guessing this is payback for avoiding you for the past few days. Not gonna lie; I deserved it. Now help me put all my stuff back."

She made her way to the luggage, but Freddie blocked her path, sticking his hands in his pockets and rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. "Carly, this isn't about you avoiding me," he paused, "Although trust me, we're going to have a serious talk about that later." The look on his face let Carly know that he meant serious business. Freddie continued, "This is about getting you away for a much needed vacation and seeing some of the people you miss the most. You need a break, Carls!"

Carly took a step back and regarded Freddie carefully. He wasn't joking. He really wanted to go on a road trip this very moment!

"Freddie, what you're saying is insane!" Carly practically shrieked. "You want to drive to Florida? Right now? You can't be serious!"

"Oh, but I am," Freddie said with a faint smirk. "Or we can leave early tomorrow morning. It's completely up to you."

"I'm not going anywhere!" Carly proclaimed, panic evident in her voice. She began to pace back and forth across in front of her couch. "This is crazy! I can't just pick up and go. I have waaaaay too much to do, first of all!"

Freddie groaned. "What exactly is it that you _have_ to do? Didn't you just take your last final of the session?"

"Yeah, but I still have a ton to do before July 14th!"

"July 15th, you mean," Freddie corrected. "Session starts on the 14th, but you only have classes Tuesday and Thursdays, remember? You showed me your schedule when you registered! That gives us 18 days, which is way more time than we need."

"Freddie, I can't. I have to find an internship before the summer is over." Carly continued to pace back and forth while Freddie's eyes followed her anxious movement.

"Carly, the probability of you finding a mid-summer internship is very low," Freddie pointed out, matter-of-factly. "Especially if you're only giving yourself a two-week window to find it in. You can look when you get back and find something in time for the fall, although most of the really sought after positions are available during the spring. That leaves you a good chunk of time for you to actually pace yourself and find the right internship for you." He removed his hands from his pockets and folded his arms over his chest, challenging Carly to come up with another excuse; a challenge that she quickly accepted.

"Well, I have to get my books!" she exclaimed as she stopped pacing. "If I don't get them soon, they could run out of any of the books I need before classes begin."

Freddie rolled his eyes at Carly's weak attempt to trump his plans. "That may be the case for the Fall or Spring, but not the summer and you know it," he countered, shaking his head.

"Well, even so," Carly jumped in, ignoring to acknowledge the validity of his argument, "I have a lot of reading to do before classes begin-"

"And books and articles are portable, Carls!" Freddie cut in, raising his voice the slightest bit. "A good amount of that reading will be from core textbooks you already have, which you can take with you on the _3000-mile drive._ While we've always been able to hold pretty decent conversation, I'm sure we'll eventually run out of things to talk about and even I'll be desperate enough to read some of those articles!" Freddie was beginning to feel exasperated by the debate and took a seat on the couch. "Even if you didn't necessarily have everything you need," he continued, "I'm telling you, we'll be back in plenty of time for you to get what you'll need and have everything read before you start class. So please," he exhaled, leaning back into the couch, "do you have any more paper-thin excuses for me to shred to pieces, or can take your suitcases to the car?"

Carly has never seen Freddie more determined about anything since she's known him. Though she continued to think that the idea was rash, she couldn't help but feel flattered by his persistence in convincing her to join him. "_He must _really_ want me to go_," she though. Still, how could he expect her to just jump in his car and go without a solid plan or money? How was he not recognizing how unreasonable all this was?

"Honestly, Freddie," she sighed, "even if I thought this was a good idea, how are we supposed to afford a trip like that? And wouldn't it be easier, and possibly cheaper, to fly to Orlando instead of driving?"

"Okay, first of all, this trip is about relieving some of your stress…and you're talking about flying to Orlando?" Freddie asked, laughing. "The entire airport experience will just multiply your stress, tenfold." Carly knew he was right. About two years ago, she had flown to Chicago to visit family. Between airport security, almost missing her connecting flight, and having to wait hours for her luggage to arrive, she vowed to never fly again. She knew that this was a unattainable vow to make, considering the kind of career she wanted to have, but for now, flying was a last resort for her.

"Secondly," Freddie continued, "I have more than enough money to cover the trip, including a couple nights in hotels along the way, thanks to the residual money I got from scholarships for this past Spring and Summer. Besides, I can always get money from the bond my grandfather left me, if needed."

"You mean the bond your mom always said was for emergencies?" Carly asked with her hands on her hips and a raised eyebrow. "I don't think a spontaneous cross-country road trip counts as an emergency, Benson."

"I don't think that's your call to make, Shay," he challenged. Carly rolled her eyes as a smile slowly crept on her face. Freddie reached out and took hold of her wrist, gently tugging her towards him in order to get her to join him on the couch. "Look, I figured we could really make the most out of this trip. We can stop by Seattle first and visit Spencer and my mom for a night. I looked up the route and it takes us right through Omaha, Nebraska, which means we can visit Gibby for a day or so, if we want." Carly did really want to see her eccentric friend. He didn't come home last Christmas, so she hasn't seen him in well over a year. Carly was beginning to soften her resolve a little. Freddie seemed to be really confident in this idea. She just wished that she could be just as sure.

"Plus," Freddie said softly, "I really miss you, Carls. Seriously, I barely see you these days and when I do, you're buried in work and sometimes you just look so unhappy." Carly looked up in search for his eyes, but he was looking at hand, which was still lightly holding her wrist. His thumb gently grazed her pulse point back and forth, which sent a tiny shiver down her spine.

"I know," she replied, her voice just barely above a whisper. "I really miss you, too."

"I think," Freddie began, looking up "that this would be an awesome opportunity for us to spend some well-deserved time together. It'll give us a chance to just be best friends again, you know?" He released her wrist to scratch his nose, and Carly immediately missed the contact. She looked down and started to rub her thighs, just to give her hands something to do.

"It's just so much, you know?" she said, still in disbelief. "Just all of a sudden. No planning, no preparing…" she trailed off and looked up. She was surprised to find that the soft expression he had on his face still managed to hold a powerful amount of intensity.

"Let's just go," Freddie said. "I want to hop in my car and get on the road. No itineraries. No schedules. Just a bag, my wallet, a map, and you in the passenger's seat."

It was that moment when Carly finally decided to stop denying herself the things she needed most. She needed an opportunity to get away from all of the stress that came with her major and her career goals. She needed the chance to be selfish with her time and do things for the sole purpose of having fun. She needed to be around the people she loved and just laugh. She desperately needed a change of scenery.

Most of all, she needed know what it was like to just have fun with Freddie again. She wanted to remember what it was like to focus on nothing but how happy they seemed to be when they were around each other. To make anymore excuses for denying herself happiness was ridiculous.

Carly sighed deeply and stood on her feet. Freddie followed, looking pleadingly into her eyes. She smiled.

"Alright," she agreed breathlessly. "Just give me an hour to pack my…umm…lady things."

Almost immediately, Carly found herself being lifted into the air and being spun around. She was sure that the neighbors were going to complain about the noise from all of the squealing, laughing, and hooting that was coming from both young adults. Carly rushed to her room and to grab the rest of the items needed for the trip while Freddie went to the car to make room in the trunk.

Fifty minutes later, Carly and Freddie were in a packed car and fastening their seat belts. Freddie slid his key into the ignition, then turned to Carly.

"No turning back?" he asked.

"No turning back." she replied simply.

With that, Freddie started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot.

"First stop: Seattle!" Freddie shouted. Carly let out a cheer, determine to let herself go for the first time in a very long while. The road trip had officially begun.**

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**

**A/N: Thanks for reading! I'm hoping to make this story as eventful as possible. Please review when you can!**

**Also, please take a moment to read some of my other stories and review, if you haven't already! I still enjoy seeing people read those, as well!**

**Hope everyone is having a good night! Until next time…**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	5. Chapter 5

Seattle was only forty minutes away from Tacoma, so Carly and Freddie used that time to call Ms. Benson and Spencer to inform them of their visit. Ms. Benson squealed with delight, then hurriedly ended the conversation in order to go to the grocery store to "stock on antibacterial goodies and yummy veggies," much to Freddie's chagrin. Much like Ms. Benson, Spencer hooted in celebration, then left to make a quick run to the store to buy Peppy Cola and, in his words, "a barrel of gummy bears, if at all possible!"

"I'll be staying at your place," Freddie declared, jokingly. Carly shook her head and giggled.

"So, do you think we should post about the trip on the iCarly site?" Carly asked. Freddie considered the suggestion. Since broadcasting their final regular episode before leaving for college, the trio promised their fans periodic video updates about college life in Washington and Florida, as well as special episodes on holidays when they reunited. Even Gibby posted a video from time to time. None of them had posted in a few months, so they were certainly overdue for an update. Still, Freddie had another idea.

"Actually," he said cautiously, "I was thinking it would be really cool if our trip was a surprise for Gibby and Sam. Posting on the site might give it away. What do you think?"

Carly gasped dramatically. "I love it!" she squealed while clapping her hands lightly. "They'll both be so excited! Oh, better idea!" Carly piped up and, by this time, looked so excited that her eyes were bulging. "We can film both surprises and put them on the site when we get to Florida! It'll be awesome!" Freddie smiled wide. He could already see some of the happy spark that he missed in Carly so much these days, and her excitement was contagious.

"I think that's an amazing idea, Carls!" he agreed, still smiling. "We should just do an iCarly special when we get to Florida and air the videos during the show!"

"Freddie, have I told you lately that I love your brain?" she inquired, reaching over to pat his head fondly.

"Nope, but I wouldn't mind hearing it every hour for the rest of this trip," he answered with a smirk. She laughed and returned her attention to the road ahead of them. Thompson Square, a little shopping plaza that Carly and Freddie were familiar with, came into view on their right side. Seeing the Square excited Carly, as it meant that they were only ten minutes away from Bushwell Plaza. She was excited to see Spencer, the old iCarly studio, her room, even Ms. Benson and Lewbert, the grumpy doorman. Carly did feel bad about not being able to find the time to visit since Christmas, especially since the trip is such a short one compared to how far other students had to travel to get to their homes. Freddie always offered her a ride whenever he came to visit, but she always allowed studying to get in the way of visiting. She made a promise to herself to make the most of the time they had while they were there. "_Speaking of time_," Carly thought to herself.

"So how long do you think we'll be in town before we hit the road again?" She asked. She still had to get used to not having a solid itinerary for trips like these.

Freddie shrugged. "Two days, maybe?" he guessed. "I figured we could head on the road Saturday morning. Early," he clarified, peeling his gaze off of the road for a second to glance at Carly. "It gives us enough time to spend with Mom and Spence. Plus, we can go to some of our old spots, you know? Just relax at home, get reacquainted with Seattle for a bit."

"Sounds good," Carly agreed. Then she shrugged her shoulders a little. "It's all so weird, isn't it? Getting on the road without a plan? It feels oddly…liberating," she finished with a quirk of her eyebrow. Though she may have preferred to plan every detail of this trip at the beginning, she liked the feeling of not being controlled by an itinerary, of escaping the rigidity of a schedule and just doing what she felt like doing.

"Easy, tiger," Freddie said, warningly. "We haven't even crossed state lines yet."

"I know, I know," Carly assured her travel companion. "It's just…I don't know. Just being able to do what I want, just because I can, is so amazing to me. I don't get a chance to do it that often these days." She looked down at her lap, kind of embarrassed to be sharing so much within the first few minutes of the trip.

"That's not true, Carly," Freddie said. "You can do whatever you want, whenever you want. You just choose to be successful, which you interpret as sacrificing your sanity for the sake of burying yourself in your work. It's okay to choose fun sometimes," he advised gently. Carly said nothing in return, absorbing his advice. She couldn't guarantee that she could completely change once classes started and the work started piling on once again, but she could promise herself for this one trip to choose fun whenever she had the opportunity. She was sure that would be much easier to do with Freddie by her side.

They pulled up to the Bushwell Plaza parking lot and Carly could feel her heart soaring. She hadn't realized how much she had missed this place until this moment.

"How does it feel to be home, finally?" Freddie asked , pulling into a spot close to the entrance.

"I may not want to leave!" Carly answered in amazement. She vaguely remembered a time close to graduation when she couldn't wait to move out on her own. That memory seemed so incredibly distant now and she suddenly had a strong desire to cocoon herself in her old room and never leave. She knew this wasn't a possibility, but she was overwhelmed by the feeling of finally returning.

They exited the car and Freddie immediately popped the trunk open and removed his Carly's duffel bags. They entered the lobby, where they found Lewbert, the veteran doorman, stationed at his desk with his usual scowl plastered on his face. Lewbert looked up and made deathly eye contact with two of his worst enemies. He had lost count of the number of times he had sustained injuries caused by the iCarly gang's antics and the simple sight of them caused him to twitch.

"Hi, there, Lewbert!" Carly greeted with fake, over-the-top enthusiasm. Freddie wore a matching, overly keen smile.

"You," the doorman growled, maintaining his deathly unflinching glare.

"Oh, it's just too good to see you, too, Lewbert!" Freddie said as he and Carly made their way to the elevator. "Let's get coffee sometime, 'kay?"

They stepped into the elevator just as Lewbert released a string of unintelligible grunts and screeches, which faded behind the closing metal doors. Once the doors were fully shut, the duo dissolved into riotous laughter.

"I've missed that so much!" Carly said as she attempted to catch her breath.

They arrived on their old floor, still laughing, and approached the door of the Shay loft. They both started knocking rapidly on the door.

"OPEN UUUUUUUUP!" they both yelled, almost in unison. The knocking overpowered the sound of rushing footsteps from the other side of the door, so the sudden opening of the door caught them both by surprise. Before them stood a tall, slender young man in his early thirties, who was displaying the excitement of a child in a toy store.

"BABY SISTER!" Spencer hollered as he lifted Carly into the air and spun her around. This was the second time this had happened to her today, and she was highly amused by that fact.

"I missed you, too, Spencer!" she cried in between bubbling laughter. Spencer set her on the ground and turned to Freddie, giving him a big bear hug.

"It's good to see you, too, Freddie!" he greeted. Freddie clapped him on the back as they broke apart.

"Same to you, man!" he agreed. Carly took a seat on the couch while Freddie made his way to a stool by the kitchen counter. Spencer closed the apartment door and sat next to Carly.

"This is an awesome surprise, you guys!" Spencer said with a smile. When did you decide to come up, Carly?" He had turned slightly so that he was facing her, full-on.

"Freddie actually talked me into it a couple hours ago," she replied as she tucked her long legs underneath her, getting more comfortable by the second.

"Don't let her fool you into thinking that was an easy task," Freddie added from his stool, leaning back against the counter. "I thought I was going to have to carry her out and tie her to the roof of the car."

"I would have allowed it," Spencer confirmed with a solemn nod. "Man, I haven't seen you in forever!" He laid a playful punch on her shoulder. "You've been away so long I was beginning to forget what you looked like! Any tattoos or babies I don't know about? Please say no," he finished, eyes wide.

Carly laughed. "Babies? Really? No, Spencer no babies or tats. But I do feel really bad about staying away for so long," she said in an apologetic tone. "I honestly didn't mean to, I was just-"

"Don't worry about it, kiddo," he interrupted with a comforting smile. "I know college can get crazy busy. Besides, I'm sure me being away in Las Vegas for almost six weeks didn't help matters."

"You went to Las Vegas, Spence?" Freddie perked up with interest.

"Yeah, with my buddy, Socko," Spencer verified.

"What did you guys do in Vegas for six weeks?" Carly asked incredulously.

Spencer looked down towards his lap. " You know…stuff…" he answered vaguely. "A little gambling, partying, brief stint in jail…"

"Wha-JAIL?" Carly sputtered. Freddie nearly fell off of his stool in shock.

"But enough about me!" Spencer said a little too brightly. "What have you both been up to?"

Carly and Freddie talked about their respective majors and their plans to visit Gibby and Sam over the course of the next two weeks. Spencer was beginning to share some ideas he had for future sculptures when there was a brief knock at the door just before a frantic, middle-aged brunette burst into the apartment unannounced.

"FREDDIE!" Ms. Benson wailed, rushing towards her son. Freddie hopped off the stool, donning a terrified smile.

"Hey, Mo-UMPH!" Ms. Benson crushed Freddie in a vice-like hug. She clung to him while desperately stroking his hair.

"Mom," he barely managed to choke out, "we discussed this. Limited air supply."

"Oh!" she cried and quickly let go. "Sorry, dear, I've just missed you so much!"

"It's only been three weeks!" he reminded her.

"So much can happen in three weeks!" she exclaimed indignantly. She leaned in and whispered, quite unsuccessfully, "Did you ever figure out the source of that rash on your-"

"MOM!" he yelped, a steady blush creeping up his neck. He attempted to lower his voice. "I told you, it was not a rash, it was…you know what? Let's talk about this at home." He walked to the chair where he had dropped his duffel bag and turned to the couch where Carly and Spencer sat (who were both struggling to hold in their laughter). "See you guys tomorrow!" He exited the apartment with his mother close at his heels, fussing with his hair. Once the door shut behind them, Carly and Spencer both burst with laughter.

"I'm so glad you guys are here!" Spencer said, clutching his stomach. "When you guys aren't around, I catch the brunt of that woman's crazy!"

* * *

Before heading to bed six hours later, Carly agreed to go to a neighboring street fair with her brother the next day. After hugging Spencer and wishing him a good night, she ascended the stairs and excitedly reached her the door of her former room, which she opened immediately. Though it had only been six month since she last saw it, she still marveled at how the room still looked exactly the same as it did when it was remodeled over four years ago. She had given Spencer permission to turn her room into an art studio, but he refused, saying that he wanted her to always have something familiar to escape to every now and then. That's how she felt now: like she was escaping into something familiar, and it felt amazing. She changed into a set of purple plaid pajamas and a green tank top, then slipped into the covers of the bed. She looked around the room at all of the things she had missed: the ice cream sandwich love seat, the electronic closet, the gummy bear chandelier…all of the things that reminded her of how much fun she used to have as a teen. Things were so different now. "What happened?" she asked the empty room.

Just then, her phone vibrated, signaling the arrival of a text message. She tapped on the "new message" icon.

**From: Freddie**

**seattle still looks amazing  
from the fire escape. wanna  
join me?**

**Jun 26, 10:19 pm**

Carly bit the corner of her bottom lip, then quickly pealed the covers off her body and jumped out of the bed. She pulled her slippers from her travel bag and slipped them on, along with a cardigan from her closet. She had a feeling that she didn't need to change out of her pajamas. She quietly walked down the stairs, careful not to disturb her brother, who had fallen asleep on the couch. She snuck out of the apartment and closed the door softly behind her. She's had so much experience with sneaking out to Freddie's fire escape that she knew that the door to his apartment would already be open. Carly also knew that he wouldn't have invited her to the fire escape unless his mother was working or fast asleep, so she wasn't afraid of getting caught. She reached the window leading to the escape and saw Freddie reclining in a folding chair, looking up at the stars. She lightly tapped the window to warn him of her presence. When he turned around, she waved at him through the window. He smiled and patted the seat of the empty folding chair. She took that as her cue to open the window and carefully climbed out onto the landing.

"Cute pajamas!" she acknowledged, noting Freddie's Batman pajama bottoms.

He lifted his left leg and stretched out the material with his hands. "Jealous?" he asked seductively. She laughed as she sat down in the empty chair. She drank in the sight of the city, peaceful and glittering in the night. She has always envied the incredible view Freddie had just outside his window.

"You were right. The city looks amazing tonight," she observed, propping a slipper-clad food on the ledge. He nodded in assent.

"So, are you glad I dragged you with me?" he asked with his trademark smirk.

"Too early to tell," she joked, "but so far, yes. Yes, I'm very glad." She rewarded him with a grateful smile, which he returned with one of his own.

"Good," he said with a nod. "I just want you to have a good time."

"I know that you want me to relieve some of the stress I've been feeling lately," she started, while turning her chair just slightly to face Freddie a little more, "but tell me. What do you hope to gain from this little experience?"

Freddie paused to think about the question for a moment. It was evident what he wanted _her_ to gain, but he never vocalized what he wanted for himself.

"Honestly, I'm not sure just yet," he answered, then thought some more. "I guess I just wanted an opportunity to prove to myself that I can be spontaneous. It's been so long since I've just…did something without thinking about it first. Sometimes I just find myself in my apartment as I'm going over my homework planner and setting the DVR to record some documentary I need to view for a class and thinking-"

" 'What happened?'" Carly supplied.

"Right!" Freddie perked up. "I just figured that if there was going be a moment when I can finally just pack my stuff and go, instead of just wishing I could, this would be it."

His explanation caught Carly off-guard. She hadn't realized how much they tend to focus on her stress and problem until just now, after hearing him talk about his own worries for the first time in a long time. It made her feel like an awful friend for not noticing that he may occasionally feel the pressures of college and the changes they bring.

"Wow," she marveled. "Well, you certainly accomplished that 'get up and go' feeling today. Definitely a spontaneous move there, Freddie."

"Why, thank you," he said as he tipped his imaginary hat. "So can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," she agreed, unhesitant.

"Why were you avoiding me this week?" he asked, looking straight into her eyes. She knew that it would only be a matter of time before it was brought up, but she didn't expect for him to bring up the subject right now. She was hoping she would have a good answer worked out by the time he did ask, but since she didn't, she decided to go with the truth.

"Well," she began, adjusting herself in her chair, "I was just really stressed out all week and I knew that if I let you see the state I was in, then you would do that thing you always do where you show up and do something to save the day, like bring me dinner, or force me to take a break to watch a chick flick with you that I know you have no interest in or-"

"-or kidnap you and drag you on road trips," he interrupted, pointing out the irony.

"Or kidnap me and drag me on road trips," she agreed. "I just feel like I'm always a mess and you're always ready to swoop in and rescue me and it's not fair to you and I always feel…I don't know, I'm grateful for it, but I hate that you feel like I need saving, you know?"

Freddie leaned forward in his chair, never breaking eye contact. "Just so we're clear, Carly, I've never thought you needed saving. I do those things because I like being there for you. I enjoy making you feel better."

"I know you do, Freddie, it's just that it feels weird because…because…"

"Because of Esther?" he bluntly asked.

The name hung in mid-air between them and Carly was surprised how much tension it carried. It was the first time either of them had mentioned her since they left, and she realized that she never even crossed her mind until just now. She hadn't even bothered to ask Freddie about how she felt about the trip or anything, nor did she plan on asking. She was sure Freddie had come to some sort of an understanding with his girlfriend, which really wasn't her business.

"Yeah," she finally answered. "I just don't want to come in between you guys with my self-inflicted drama. Besides, when you got a girlfriend, I prepared myself for my eventual dissent into the background. I guess I just wanted to start distancing myself and leaving you to your relationship."

Freddie looked down, raked a hand through his brown hair, then looked back up with a face of stony determination. "Look," he said with a voice that was firm, but was laced with a bit of tenderness. "You are, and will always be, my very best friend in the whole world. Nothing changes that. Ever."

Carly's heart fluttered as a wave of affection for her friend washed over her. "I knew you'd say something that sweet."

A hint of a smile ghosted his face. "I'm not saying it to be sweet," he corrected. "I'm telling you this so that you understand that there is nothing nor anyone who could come between us or before you. I'm always going to be here for you and, yes, if that means taking care of you every once in a while, then so be it."

"But-"

"But nothing, Carls," he persisted. "Esther may be my girlfriend, but she understood going into this relationship that the bond that we shared was very important to me. You shouldn't worry about what she nor anyone else thinks, okay?"

Carly started playing with a loose thread in her pajamas when it became harder to look him in the eyes. "I don't know Freddie. I don't want to step on toes and I don't want to loose you as a friend, either. I mean, what would happen if, one day, she got upset at how close we are and forced you to choose between us?"

There was a pause, then suddenly she felt Freddie's finger under her chin, lifting up her face so that she was forced to make eye contact with him.

"That," he said, "is an incredibly easy choice to make. Face it: you're stuck with me." He tweaked her nose and smiled, leaning back against the chair and returning his gaze to the lit up city below them. She smiled brightly and joined him in admiring the view in companionable silence. She wished that she could bottle this moment, the view, their conversation, and even his Batman pajamas, and carry it with her everywhere she went. When she spotted a shooting star, she made a silent wish for the rest of the trip to feel just like this.

* * *

**A/N: I'm honestly overwhelmed with gratitude at the number of people who have review, favorited, and put alerts on this story! Thank you all so much for your interest and I hope that you don't find yourself disappointed at any point! I also laughed fairly hard at everyone's responses towards Esther and the fact that nobody felt any sort of sympathy for her! 'Twas funny, indeed.**

**I hope you continue to read and review! I'm already working on the next chapter. :-)**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly.**

* * *

Carly awoke the following morning to the sound and smell of bacon cooking downstairs. She inhaled deeply, relishing in the aroma, then exhaled blissfully while reaching over to grab her phone to check out the clock. The bottom of the screen had a small digital display that read "9:34 am." She had finally went to bed that morning around 1:30 after spending over three hours on the fire escape with Freddie. She smiled to herself, feeling positively refreshed after spending some much needed quality time with her best friend and getting eight hours of sleep, both of which were long overdue. She sat up and scooted to the end of her bed so she could jump on the trampoline embedded in the floor (originally installed so that she could, quite literally, "jump into bed"), then hopped lightly onto the ground, padding over to the duffel bag to look for a comfortable outfit for the day. After taking a shower doing her usual morning routine, she quickly changed into a pair of dark pink jeans and gray and pink plaid belted tunic over a simple white tank. Briefly glancing in the nearest mirror, she grabbed her phone and rushed downstairs.

Carly arrived to the sight of Spencer in the kitchen, still cooking breakfast.

"G'morning, Spencer!"

"Mornin', kiddo!" he greeted, still focusing on the stove. Carly walked closer to kitchen and saw a number of pots and pans steaming on the stove top. There was a bowl of, what appeared to be, half eaten cereal sitting on the countertop near her brother.

"You're eating breakfast…while cooking breakfast?" Carly mused.

"Well, I was trying to wait for you to wake up, but when I heard the upstairs shower running, I knew you'd be a while," he explained, lowering the temperature of one of the burners and turning briefly to face his sister. "I even made bacon a half hour ago…but I got hungry and ate it all," he said apologetically. "I'm making more, though! See?"

Carly peered at where he was pointing and saw fresh strips of bacon frying in the pan.

"Well, I certainly appreciate it!" she said with a giggle as she sat at the dining table. They chatted idly for a few minutes about nothing in particular while Spencer finished cooking breakfast. Once finished, he grabbed a plate and covered it with eggs, bacon, toast, and cubed fruit. He grabbed a jug full of orange juice on his way to the table and set the items in front of Carly.

"Thanks!" she said, ready to dig into her breakfast. It had been so long since she had a home-cooked breakfast that the simple gesture excited her. They sat and ate while discussing their plans for the day. Carly told Spencer that she and Freddie would be stopping by Groovy Smoothie before heading to the street fair that afternoon, then they would grab a slice of pie at Galini's after the fair.

"I just finished a pie from Galini's two days ago," Spencer informed his sister before taking a bite out of his toast.

"Oh, yeah? Are you officially over pie?"

"From Galini's?" Spencer asked incredulously. "There's no such thing as being 'over pie' when it comes to Galini's! If anything, that just means I'll have to buy two pies this time!"

Carly laughed just as there was a knock at the door. Spencer jogged to the door and opened it to find Freddie standing there in dark jeans and an old blue Penny Tee that read "Squirrel Jury" in yellow.

"Top of the morning to you, Shays," he hailed cheerfully, engaging Spencer in a fist bump as he entered the apartment.

"Morning, Freddie!" Carly responded. Freddie walked to the dining table and planted a quick kiss in Carly's hair before grabbing a seat next to her. Spencer quirked an eyebrow at the gesture, witnessing for the first time how close their friendship had become since they left for college. A small smile crept on his face, then he quickly moved on as if not to notice.

"Hey, Freddo, there's some more bacon on the stove if you want any," he offered.

"No thanks, Spence," he declined, "Mom stuffed me with oatmeal and fruit before she left for work." Just then, Freddie's phone beeped loudly three times. He lifted himself from the chair just enough to remove the phone from his back pocket and examined the screen for a second before tapping it. He had an unreadable expression on his face as he hastily typed a quick message, then set the phone down on the table.

"Is your mother checking up on you already?" Spencer inquired as he headed to the kitchen to put away some of the used pots.

"Uh, no, that was just my girlfriend, Esther," Freddie answered nonchalantly. Carly discreetly rolled her eyes before sipping her orange juice.

Spencer turned his attention to the table. "Girlfriend, you say?" he asked with a surprised looked. "Oh! I just thought…umm…that's cool, Freddie! Is she nice?"

"Yeah, she's really nice," Freddie answered with a smile. Carly was wishing her brother would stop asking questions when she looked up and noticed him looking at her with an odd expression. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought that Spencer was looking at her as if he pitied her. Before she could question it, he returned his attention to the dirty pots in the sink.

The three of them chatted for a few more minutes before Spencer left the kitchen to go to his room for a moment. Carly got on the computer stationed on the kitchen counter and paid a quick visit to her SplashFace page. She hadn't logged on in days and just wanted to see if anything interesting was going on.

_**Griffin F. **__I'm gonna KILL whoever stole Mr. Bigglesworth from my collector's case. Can't people appreciate how hard it is to find Pee Wee Babies these days? You. Are. DEAD._

Carly laughed so hard that she almost fell out of the stool. "Oh, Griffin," she sighed to the screen while wiping away the tears of mirth from her eyes. She scrolled down.

_**Esther G. **__misses her honey soooooo much already! Gone for two weeks! Come back to me soon, my love!  
_

Carly had a strong desire to block Esther from her news feeds just so she wouldn't be subjected to any more of her sugary sweet status updates, but she stopped herself.

"So, looks like Esther misses you a lot," Carly said, casually pointing at the computer screen. Freddie stood up and walked over to the screen to take a look at what Carly was pointing towards. He read the status, then shook his head.

"Yeah, she's already texted me eight times this morning," he elaborated, sounding exhausted. He walked over to the couch and sat down. "Cute, but… a little excessive."

"Don't you miss her?"

He paused. "I mean, sure," he answered, a little resignedly, "but two weeks isn't that long of a time, really. It's not that big of a deal."

Carly was surprised by Freddie's attitude towards leaving his girlfriend behind. She knew that if she had a boyfriend as great as Freddie, she'd probably be missing him just as much, even if he was away for only a few days. She knew she always missed Freddie whenever he left for Seattle for the weekend, and they're not even dating…

"Well, I can't blame the girl for missing you so much," she said, not realizing she had spoken her thought aloud until it was too late. Freddie looked up at an embarrassed Carly and made eye contact. He stared at her intensely before a satisfied smile slowly spread across his face. Carly searched nervously for something to say when Spencer burst into the living room.

"I just read that they're gonna sell Bacon Balls and fried cookie dough at the street fair! We gotta leave RIGHT NOW!" he exclaimed as he ran out the door. Carly and Freddie laughed, forgetting the little bit of awkward tension that existed before.

"Wanna grab a smoothie?" Freddie asked, standing up.

"That sounds like a delicious and non-artery-clogging idea!" she said with a giggle as they both exited the apartment.

* * *

The Camden Avenue Street Fair was more like a big farmer's and arts market, with stand after stand of fresh fruits and vegetables along with a plethora of booths ran by local artists and crafters, selling everything from wind chimes made of soda bottles to large paintings of celebrities. There were face painters entertaining children next to a stand that sold beautiful rare plants, as well as a palm reader servicing a line of desperate looking teenage girls. A stage had been erected at the far end of the grounds where jazz bands, belly dancers, cloggers, and other various entertainers performed for a small crowd of interested fair-goers. Then there was, of course, the gratuitous amount of food vendors available, serving any type of food you could think of: burgers, pizza, hot dogs, Greek food, Japanese hibachi, Mexican cuisine, pastries, and yes, even the Bacon Balls and fried cookie dough that Spencer was so excited about. Carly and Freddie weren't hungry before, but they were definitely hungry now.

"Is it bad that the Krazy Crème Donut bacon cheeseburger intrigues me?" Carly asked.

"Yes, it is," Freddie answered frankly while gently steering her away from the stand, which was operated by a very greasy, portly gentleman. They found a funnel cake stand, where they split an apple-cinnamon cake as they continued to walk around the fair. They passed a caricature artist, an older, excited woman curly red hair, just as Freddie finished the last bite of cake.

"Would you two lovely kids like a caricature drawing?" the woman asked in a dreamy voice, shaking her hand at the pair. "Only $30 for the both of you, color and all!"

They looked at each other for a moment. "You want to? It's on me," Freddie asked, eyebrows raised in interest.

"Why not?" Carly said with a shrug. She spotted a large crumb on his face. "Oh, you've got cake in the corner of your mouth, Freddie." Without hesitation, she used her thumb to gently wipe the crumb away from his face. They both missed the knowing grin of the artist, who was watching them carefully.

"Yes, ma'am, we'd like a drawing, please." Freddie told the woman as they made their way to the stools in front of the easel.

"Oh, wonderful!" the woman cried, clasping her hands together. "You two just sit up in those stools, look straight ahead and smile wide for me, and stay very, very still, okay?"

They nodded, straightened up in their seats, and smiled.

"Beautiful," the woman complimented, then she picked up her charcoals and went to work. They sat in that position for about fifteen minutes before the artist gave them permission to stretch their mouths. They remained still for almost ten more minutes.

"Alright, you two can relax. I'm just putting the finishing touches in. I think you'll both really like it," she informed them in a sing-song voice. The pair allowed their posture to ease a little.

"So, I know we just had funnel cake," Freddie began, stretching his jaw a little as he spoke, "but the entire time we were sitting here, all I could think about was Galini's pie. Is that bad?"

"Probably," Carly said as she stretched her arms above her head, "but that sounds delicious. Is there anything else you want to check out, or can we head to Galini's, like, now-ish?"

"Now-ish, absolutely," Freddie said, gratefully.

"All done!" the woman chirped excitedly. "I think it's some of my best work, if I do say so myself. Take a look!"

The woman turned the drawing around with a grand flourish. The drawing made both Carly and Freddie gasp. It really was a very accurate drawing of the two of them, as the artist was careful to capture Carly's big brown eyes and the apples of her cheeks and Freddie's strong jaw line and right dimple. Surprisingly, however, she drew the pair to be flirtatiously glancing at each other sideways amongst floating hearts (some of them pierced in the middle with arrows) and the word "Love" across the top in big bubble letters. This left them blushing and awkwardly explaining that she had the wrong idea.

"Oh! Um, the picture is great, but -"

"-but we aren't, like…she's not my-"

"I mean, we're best friends and we do love each other somewhat-"

"Oh, totally! I love her to death, but we aren't like-"

"He's just my very best friend, so the hearts might give people the wrong idea…"

The artist looked at them, then at her drawing, then back at them as understanding dawned on her.

"Oh, my goodness! I'm SO sorry!" she apologized, mortified. "I just thought you two were definitely…well, it certainly is a shame you two aren't a couple. You both look wonderful together!"

Carly and Freddie looked at each other, than quickly looked away.

"Oh, I just feel awful," the woman said. "And I wasn't kidding before when I said that I thought this was some of my best work. You two are absolutely inspiring!"

"Oh, well, thank you, ma'am," Freddie said, retrieving his wallet from his back pocket. "Well, it's still a good picture, so I'll still pay for it-"

"No, I have a better idea!" the lively artist cut in. "Why don't you let me draw you again. No hearts this time, I promise," she assured, raising her hand as if she were being sworn under oath.

"Oh, no, thank you," Carly declined. "I don't think I can sit that still again and we do have other plans."

"Well, would you mind if I kept the picture as an advertisement?" the woman pleaded. "I would hate to have to toss this out. It really is one of my better drawings and I'm sure it'll draw more couples in."

"Sure, no problem," Freddie agreed with a smirk. "Good luck!"

"Thank you both so much!" the woman said, thanking both their hands. "If you change your mind about the drawing, please come back and see me!"

They both nodded and turned on their heels towards the exit. Carly turned her head and took one last look at the drawing as the woman clipped it to the front of her booth. It really was an amazing picture and she briefly thought about going back, but quickly decided against it and returned her head forward. Neither of them mentioned the drawing as they made their way out of the fair.

"So," Freddie suddenly started, "ready for some pie?"

* * *

It was six in the afternoon when the two friends arrived at Galini's. With the fair still running, the shop was uncharacteristically empty. Freddie got a piece of their famous coconut cream pie while Carly daringly asked for a slice of their key lime, which she had never ordered before. Freddie paid for both of their slices and they sat in their favorite booth in the corner of the cozy shop. They dug into their slices unceremoniously and, simultaneously, both purred with contentment at their first bites.

"Heaven," Carly sighed, "This is my heaven."

"I'm buying a pie for the road. Don't think I won't do it," Freddie challenged. Carly snorted with laughter at the dead serious expression on his face.

"Switch?" Carly suggested, waving her fork between the two plates. Freddie nodded and they passed their plates to each other and took a small bite. Freddie closed his eyes and hummed with delight.

"How do they do it?" Freddie pondered. "Magic? Elves?"

"I don't know, but I've missed this pie. Tacoma has nothing like this."

"No, it does not," Freddie agreed. He then changed the subject. "So I was thinking we could get on the road around 9 a.m. It'll take a day or so to get to Omaha, so we can start heading in that direction and we can stop for the night, if we need to. What do you think?"

"Sounds good!" she assented, switching their plates back. She was getting more and more excited about the trip as time passed. The thought of finally getting on the open highway and driving farther and farther away from their familiar surroundings thrilled her, and she couldn't think of a better person to share the experience with. Still, she was a little sad to leave Seattle so soon.

"I'm going to miss it here, though," she said with a little sigh.

"Carly, it's only forty minutes away from Tacoma," Freddie reminded her. "We can come back the weekend after classes start, if you want."

Carly raised her eyebrows inquisitively. "We?" she asked curiously.

"Or you by yourself," Freddie rushed to correct himself, then dropped his gaze to focus intently on his slice of pie.

"Hey, if you keep treating me to Galini's pie, I'll make sure to tote you around with me every single time I go."

Freddie looked up at Carly. "Oh, really?" Freddie said, raising a single eyebrow. "Wouldn't that make me your…Sugar Daddy? Get it?" he quipped with pride, pointing at the pie slices.

"Ooooh, Benson," Carly moaned.

"You loved it!" Freddie insisted, while Carly laughed light-heartedly and shook her head.

* * *

Freddie and Ms. Benson were at the Shays' apartment by 8:55 a.m. the next morning, waiting for Carly to descend he stairs with her duffel bag.

"Fredward, I took the liberty of going through your bag and finding all the underwear that didn't have your name stitched in the back…which was all of them," she disclosed with a disappointed frown.

"Really, Mom?" Freddie moaned.

"Yes. No need to thank me!"

Spencer turned around in order to hide the chuckle threatening to escape his throat.

"And I want you to take the vitamins that I put in your bag," Ms. Benson continued. "Traveling for long distances can jeopardize the immune system. And no making any number twosies in public restrooms! They're crawling with bacteria!"

"And I'm mortified," Freddie muttered, covering his eyes and speeding to the foot of the stairs.

"CARLY, GET YOUR BUTT DOWN HERE!" he bellowed.

"KEEP YOUR PANTS ON! I'M COMING!" Carly retorted, coming down the stairs in a simple red T-shirt and khaki-colored shorts, carrying her bag. Freddie took her bag from her hands and she made her way to Spencer to give him a hug good-bye. Spencer extended a hand in order to prevent her from hugging him.

"Before we proceed with the mushy good-byes," he said, taking a step back, "I've got a present for you."

He turned to the dining table in the kitchen, where a cardboard cylinder laid on the surface. Spencer picked it up and handed it to his sister.

"You may want to open it in private," he said, not elaborating before pulling her in for a big bear hug. "And I'm coming to visit you beginning of August, okay?"

"Sounds great, Spence. Love you," she muttered, holding on to him tightly. She really did enjoy the little time they had. She decided that she would visit again in three weeks, no matter how much work she had.

"Love you, too, Carly," he replied, peppering a quick kiss on her forehead. They broke apart and walked towards the door. Freddie was hugging his mother, as well, though it looked like it was taking her a little longer to let go.

"Love you, mom," Freddie said sincerely.

"I love you, too, my handsome boy!" Ms. Benson replied, sniffling. Freddie was used to the teary good-byes, and he was sure he would have to endure them again we he visited in a few weeks. When they finally broke apart, Freddy gave a quick hug to Spencer while Carly hugged Ms. Benson. Freddie picked up the duffel bags and both travelers were finally out the door. They walked to the car at a determined speed, ready to start their journey. Freddie popped open the trunk and unlocked the car. Carly slipped into the front seat and tossed the cardboard cylinder in the back before securing her seat belt. Carly heard the trunk slam shut just before Freddie hopped into the driver's seat.

"Ready to head out?" Freddie asked just as he entered the key into the ignition.

"Let's go!" Carly encouraged.

Freddie started the engine and pulled out of the Bushwell Plaza parking lot. Carly immediately felt the adrenaline pump through veins, because she _finally_ felt like the road trip had actually begun. She looked at Freddie, who appeared just as eager. Carly remembered her promise to herself before leaving, to let go and enjoy herself.

"_It starts now_," she thought to herself. "_It starts now._"

* * *

**A/N: I want to thank all of my readers (the reviewing ones as well as the silent ones) for taking the time to read my story! I hope you're all enjoying it so far. I'm loving the feedback and the notices of people putting this story on their favorites and alerts lists! Seriously, thank you all!**

**Please keep reviewing. Let me know what you think!**

**I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend!**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: This chapter is rated T for language. In addition, iDon't own iCarly.**

* * *

The first two hours of the trip went by rather quickly for the two travelers. They filled up the gas tank, stopped at a coffee shop for lattes and breakfast sandwiches, and took a quick detour after an hour of driving to an electronics store and picked up a few CD's for the drive. After a very spirited debate concerning the purchase of a Dane Cook comedy album, they finally settled on enough entertainment to get them through the first leg of the journey. After checking out with their purchases, they were back on the interstate in a matter of minutes.

"I just don't get how you could possibly think he's funny," Freddie marveled, shaking his head. "All he does is yell and run around the stage like an idiot."

"But that's why it's so funny!" Carly retorted, turning to face Freddie. "He's a grown man, yet he still acts like a teen. He's entertaining!"

"And that doesn't strike you as sad?" Freddie asked, still confused.

Carly was just about to respond when she heard the faint sound of a ringtone from the bottom of her purse. She grabbed her bag and quickly searched for her phone. She found it shortly thereafter and looked at the screen.

"It's Sam," she warned. "Don't say anything. It might be weird for us to be hanging out this early in the day."

"It's 11:15 in the morning, that's not weird-"

"Hush!" Carly demanded.

"Hushing," Freddie conceded, rolling his eyes. Carly answered her phone.

"Hey, Sam!" she greeted, sounding as natural as she could.

"Are you and Fredwina on your way to Florida?" Sam shrieked, not bothering say 'hello' back.

"Florida? What are you talking about, Sam?" Carly asked, panic evident in her voice. She turned to Freddie and pointed frantically at the receiver of her phone, mouthing "She knows!" silently to him. Freddie's eyes grew wide, then he quickly grabbed his phone, which was resting in the cup holder, and tapped on the screen with his free hand.

"Seriously, Carly, are you guys heading to Florida?" Sam pressed. "Spencer apparently tweeted something earlier this morning about 'wishing the baby sister and her loyal techie companion a safe trip' and wanting you guys to 'say hello to the shirtless Boy Wonder and the Blonde Carnivore' for him. I mean, how many friends do you have that fit that description? Seriously, how many, because I want to meet them."

Carly was fairly certain that she and Freddie mentioned to Spencer that the trip was supposed to be a surprise. She made a mental note to give Spencer a swift kick in the shins the next time she saw him, then decided that the jig was clearly up.

"Saaaaam," Carly whined, "you weren't supposed to find out! It was meant to be a surprise for you an Gibby." She looked at Freddie, who looked like he was reading something on his phone.

"So you guys _are_ coming?" Sam repeated, excitement ringing in her voice.

"Yup, we're driving over there. We'll be in Omaha tomorrow evening for a day or two and we should be in Florida by the end of the week."

Suddenly, Carly heard Sam lift the phone away from her face in order to hoot jubilantly at the news. Carly had to giggle at her friend's mirth, as it reminded her of the energy her friend had when they were younger.

"AWESOME SAUCE!" Sam cried into the receiver.

"Surpriiiiise," Carly responded lamely.

"I can't believe you guys are DRIVING all the way out here! This is great, Carls. I have a spare room where you and Freddie can crash - HOLY SHIT, YOU GUYS WILL BE HERE ON SATURDAY!" she hollered suddenly. "That means you guys can come to my summer recital! You'll both be able to see me dance!"

"That sounds amazing!" Carly perked up. "We'd love to see that!"

"I can't wait! I'll have two comp tickets waiting for you guys. Look, I have to go. I'm supposed to be rehearsing. Tell the dork I said hello. Love you!"

"Love you, too, Sam. See you soon!"

"Bye, girlie!" Sam said before hanging up.

Carly pressed the "END" button on her phone. "Well, Sam officially knows," she informed Freddie, though she was sure he had gathered as much from her end of the conversation. She tossed the phone back in her purse.

"Yeah, apparently Gibby's aware, too. He tweeted, 'Can't wait for my homies, Freddie and Carly to get here this weekend. Party on, T-shirt OFF! P.S - Thanks for the heads up, Spence.' So much for the element of surprise." Freddie put his phone back in the cup holder with a sigh.

"Well, it was a nice thought," Carly reflected. She thought of their earlier idea to videotape their surprise arrivals and air them later on their special webcast in Florida. "I guess we can't tape their reactions to seeing us if they already know we're coming."

"Maybe not," Freddie shrugged, "but we can still tape something with Gibby. Maybe he can show us some of the sights in Omaha and we can get some of that on film. Don't worry, it'll still be a good time." He reached over and patted Carly's knee reassuringly. She couldn't ignore the warm, electrifying sensation left behind by that simple touch.

"Y-yeah, I know," she stammered. She suddenly felt horrified by the sound of her breathy voice.

"_I haven't sounded that idiotic since high school_," she thought. "_Do I always sound like that when I talk to him? Wait, why do I even care?_"

She glanced over at her childhood friend and was taken aback by how mature he looked at that very moment. His dark brown hair was slightly spiked back in the front, which was a far cry from their younger days when he would sport a smart side part and comb his hair to the side. His thick, dark eyebrows matched the light pattern of stubble on his cheeks and chin. He was usually very clean shaven and she wondered whether he was trying a more relaxed look for the trip, or if he just simply forgot to that morning, but the look suited him very nicely. The careless stubble, in fact, served as an amazingly stark contrast to his perfectly white smile. Her eyes caught his well-defined right arm, which was currently extended as he held the wheel. The simple purple t-shirt he was wearing clung to his lean build, revealing broad shoulders and biceps that couldn't be considered "huge", but impressive nonetheless. Carly wondered briefly whether Freddie had a six-pack hidden underneath that shirt, then she immediately shook the thought away.

"_And now you're thinking about his possible abs?" _she admonished internally, quickly looking out her window. "_Seriously, where is all this coming from?"_

She chanced another glance at Freddie, taking in his image as a whole. Carly couldn't deny that the man was attractive.

"_Face it_," her inner voice pressed, "_he's sexy. Your sweet, tech-savvy, unabashedly nerdy childhood friend is rather hot._"

Carly's cheeks suddenly felt like they were on fire and she wished she could crawl into the backseat and hide for the remainder of the drive. She was pretty sure that suddenly recognizing your best male friend's immense attractiveness topped the list of the things that shouldn't occur while stuck on a long road trip with said friend, especially when this friend had a girlfriend who happened to be head-over-heels for him in Tacoma. "_This would be so much easier_," she reasoned in her head, "_if he had a skuzzy personality_."

But he didn't.

He was an incredibly attractive, loving, protective, funny man who knew her inside-out and took special care of her at any given opportunity without her ever having to ask.

And he just so happened to have a girlfriend…an annoying girlfriend whom she wouldn't mind at all replacing.

At this revelation, Carly could only summon one thought:

"_Fuck_."

She didn't feel like this was an ideal time to fall for her best friend, when his girlfriend was sitting at home waiting for him with bells on. Usually her logic would kick in well before now, but she was beginning to wonder if it decided to take a vacation around the same time that she did. She decided that the best thing to do was to get some alone time so that she could wait for her beloved logic to return, in peace and without all this confusion. With that, Carly began counting down that hours to the moment she would finally be able to distance herself from Freddie and get her head together.

* * *

**A/N: I do apologize for the short chapter, but I was anxious for Carly to come to some sort of terms about her feelings toward Freddie. After all, denial can only get you so far. ;-) Now I feel like I can progress with the next coming chapters.  
**

**Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to review! It means so much to me and it truly makes my day. To those of you who are adding the story to your Favorites and Alerts: thanks to you all, as well! Now don't be shy, tell me what you think!**

**I hope everyone had a great day, whether you participated in Valentine's activities or not!**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	8. Chapter 8

"_Okay, seriously, how long have we been driving?"_

Carly glanced at the digital clock on the dashboard. 1:45 PM. She couldn't figure out how it was possible for them to still be driving through Washington. Staring at the infinite stretch of road before her, she found it difficult to believe that she once dreamed about a moment similar to this, driving nonstop for miles upon miles. Now she dreaded the possibility of being on the road forever, tortured by exit sign after exit sign as she prayed to the heavens for an opportunity to leap out of this vehicle, to just run back to Tacoma, or even get out at the next exit and just build a new life in whichever city she found herself in, anything to get her _out of this damn car_.

This road trip was suddenly an awful idea to her, and in Carly's eyes, Freddie Benson was completely to blame.

"_If he wasn't such an amazing person_," she rationalized in her head, "_then I wouldn't have fallen for him and then this trip wouldn't have become so awkward_."

In the deep recesses of her mind, she knew that this logic was flawed and that the only reason the trip was awkward was because she was making it so. For the past couple of hours, Freddie has tried to make the ride somewhat enjoyable. He attempted to engage Carly in a number of road games, all of which she declined or claimed too difficult to learn. He then tried just talking to her, which he assumed would be much easier. Instead, his attempts at conversation were met with clipped or one-word answers, or the occasional noncommittal grunt.

"_Talking is bad_," she tried to convince herself. "_It'll just give him a chance to say something sweet, or smart, or funny and you'll be a confused mess again_."

Her phone beeped melodically, signaling the arrival of a new text message. Shortly after, Freddie's phone sounded off, as well. They both reached for their respective phones simultaneously. Carly tapped the "new message" icon and found a message from Spencer.

**From: Big Brother**

**Sooo…I may have unintentionally  
ruined your big surprise for Gibster and  
Sam via a tweet. I just have one question:  
How can you stay mad at this face?**

**Jun 28, 2:04 PM**

The text included a picture of Spencer, who was holding up a handmade sign that said "**Sowwie**" and giving the best puppy dog look he could muster. The picture elicited a small laugh from her, at which Freddie glanced in her direction and smiled.

"Spencer sent you a text, too?" Freddie inquired.

"Yeah," she answered as she typed a quick response to her brother. "Adorable, huh?"

"Well, if the Shays are experts at anything, it's the art of looking irresistibly adorable," Freddie said casually, "I've been telling you that since we were 12."

She wished she could bang her head against the window without arousing concern. This is what she was trying to avoid, these impossibly cute compliments that he often paid so effortlessly. This is why it was so hard to think rationally about how she felt. How can you resist falling for someone who says such wonderful things with such sincerity? Carly quickly looked out the window in an effort to hide the blush she was sure was manifesting this very moment. In the back of her mind, she wondered when he obtained the ability to make her blush in the first place.

"Carly, are you alright?" Freddie asked.

"What do you mean?" Carly replied, trying her best to sound natural, though the question came out in sort of a high-pitched squeak.

"Well, you've barely said a word in hours and you look a little flushed," he pointed out. "Do we need to stop and get you some water or anything?"

"No, no, I'm good. I'm just tired."

"Oh," he nodded. "Well, feel free to go to sleep, Carls. I'll wake you up if anything insane happens."

"Yeah," Carly acquiesced, thankful for an excuse not to talk to him for awhile. "I'm just going to shut my eyes for a couple hours, okay?"

"No problem. Get some rest."

Carly grabbed the PearPod from her purse, reclined her seat back, and turned her body slightly so that that her back was turned to Freddie. Luckily, she had made sure to charge it the night before, so she had a few good hours of music to entertain her while she pretended to sleep.

"_This is good_," she thought. "_Now I just need to find a way to avoid speaking to him for the rest of the trip_." She was aware of how unreasonable that idea was and that he didn't necessarily do anything to earn the silent treatment, but it didn't change her desire to find a way to make it a possibility. She plugged the earbuds into her ears and turned on the device, drowning out the road noise and her own cluster of fractured thoughts. She looked up, catching a road sign outside of her window that informed them that they were finally exiting the state of Washington and entering Idaho. Despite the current onslaught of confusion, she did feel a sudden weight lifted off of her shoulders, like she was finally getting closer to seeing her closest friends and getting some of her old self back. With that thought, a wave of genuine exhaustion washed over her and after three songs, the soft vibration of the road beneath tires successfully carried her off to sleep.

* * *

"Hey. Hey, Carly, wake up."

Freddie gently shook her just above her hip, trying his best not to startle her. Slowly blinking her bleary eyes, she slowly registered her surroundings and the darkness the flooded the vehicle. Only one earbud barely remained in her ear, though no sound emitted from it. Glancing at the dashboard clock, she was shocked to learn that it was 9:12 p.m. How could she have slept for almost seven hours? And where exactly were they?

"I think we should stop for the night," Freddie asserted. "I found a decent hotel on my phone when I stopped for gas earlier. We can crash there for the night and get back on the road in the morning."

"Freddie," Carly groaned, rubbing her eyes and reaching blindly for the lever that would allow her to pull her seat upright, "I told you I would fill up the next tank. Why didn't you wake me?"

"Because I told you before we left not to worry about that. I didn't force you to come on this trip just to turn around and make you pay. This is your time to relax."

Carly closed her eyes to prevent herself from rolling them in frustration. "_Great_," she thought, "_he's a total sweetheart when I'm unconscious, as well? How can I even stand a chance?_"

"Well, you really shouldn't have done that," she insisted, not meaning to sound as irritable as she did.

As she looked out the window, Freddie looked in her direction with a mixture of confusion and frustration. He couldn't really figure out where the sudden attitude came from, but he hoped that it was a passing side effect of sleeping in an uncomfortable position and onset hunger. Either way, something was up and he was just a little annoyed that she wouldn't talk to him about it.

"It's really not that big of a deal, Carly," he finally responded in a clipped tone. Without responding, she continued to look out the window in hopes to find some sort of sign indicating where they were.

"There's a hotel with suites just four miles from here called the Fairledge Inn & Suites," he went on to inform her. "I've already booked us a connecting suite for the night, so all we have to go when we get there is check in. We can drop off our stuff and look for dinner, if you want."

"Thanks, Freddie, but I'm good," she answered. Truthfully, she was starving, but she was so desperate to get some space between herself and Freddie that food was not a priority to her at the moment.

"Fine," he conceded, clearly exhausted by the drive as well as the suddenly strained communication between him and Carly. They drove in silence for the next nine minutes until they pulled into the parking lot of the Fairledge Inn & Suites, which looked like a much nicer establishment than what she would expect for a simple overnight stay. They pulled into a spot close to the lobby entrance.

"Freddie, where are we?" Carly asked, unbuckling her seatbelt.

"Billings, Montana," he answered. Turning off the ignition and pressing a button to pop open the trunk. "It's the halfway point between Seattle and Omaha. It'll take us another half day to get to Gibby's, so we'll hang out here for the night and leave really early in the morning." He got out of the car, stretched with a big yawn, then went to the trunk to get out the suitcases, moving the duffel bags to the side. Carly opened the door and turned her body so that her legs could stretch out the door before she attempted to stand. The right side of her body ached, as she had slept on it for hours. Freddie came around to her side of the car.

"I'm going to check us in," he told her. "Can you text Gibby and let him know that we'll be over his way tomorrow night?"

"Sure," she agreed, taking out her phone to text. In the time that Freddie was gone, she sent a text to Gibby and one to Spencer and Sam, letting them know that they had stopped for the night and would continue on the trip tomorrow. Gibby texted back his excitement and offered her an Freddie a space in his fraternity's house to stay during their visit. Spencer wished them a safe trip and Sam simply sent a smiley face emoticon as her reply. Just as Carly reached in the back for her computer bag, Freddie reappeared sans suitcases.

"Okay, so here is your room key," he began, handing her a swipe card in a small envelope. "Our rooms are connected, so if you need anything, you can just knock. Our bags are already in our rooms. I figure we can leave here around seven tomorrow morning. Is that cool?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Carly answered.

"Good," Freddie mumbled as he opened the back door and grabbed his own computer bag. Carly finally got out of the car and shut the door just Freddie shut his back door. When they entered the lobby, Carly was caught off guard by how pretty it was, with its white tile floors, crimson walls, and marble front desk. They took the elevator to the fourth floor, where Freddie led them to rooms 422 and 424.

"Remember to knock if you need me, alright?" Freddie implored, sliding his key into the card port next to the knob.

"I will," Carly replied absently. "Night!"

Carly didn't wait for Freddie to reply before keying into her room and shutting the door, leaning back and closing her eyes. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, thanking the heavens for finally being out of that car and away from the man who was responsible for her emotions becoming a congealed pile of uncertainty. She pushed herself away from the door and took a look around. The bathroom was right next to the entrance to the right, clean and spacious. She stepped further into the room and was happy to find a comfortable queen size bed with fluffy pillows and a simple navy blue quilted blanket. A large television sat on top of a dark wooden stand, which happen to match the rest of the furniture in the suite. A closet laid to her left, where she also noticed a white door, which she assumed connected to Freddie's room. She stared at the door for a moment, wondering what he was doing. She was sure that he would be talking to Esther or heading to bed after a long day of driving. She noticed her suitcase sitting next to her bed and unzipped it, removing her bag of toiletries and a random pair of pajamas. She trudged to the bathroom and hopped in the shower, washing away a day of travel and allowing the steady stream of warm water to sooth her tight muscles and clouded mind.

She exited the bathroom forty minutes later, scrubbed head to toe and clad in a pair of black pajama pants, which were covered in pink poodles, and a white tank top. She sat on the bed and turned on the television as she pulled her hair back in a ponytail. Just then, she heard a knock on the door connecting her room to Freddie's. She froze for a second, then slowly made her way to the door and unhinged the latch that locked it in place. She opened it to find Freddie, dressed plain blue sweatpants and a gray tank that clung to his lean frame. Carly was momentarily distracted by his arms before noticing the intensely concerned look on his face.

"So, I have to know, Carly," he started, leaning against the door frame, "did I do something wrong?"

Carly was taking aback by his abrupt inquiry. She hadn't realized how obvious she had been. Still, she didn't want to admit to him that she had anything to be upset about, hoping to avoid any questions that may lead to a very awkward conversation.

"What do you mean, Freddie?" she asked for the second time that day. She felt awful for playing dumb with him, but the alternative was too daunting to consider.

"Stop it, Carly," he demanded, waving away her attempt to deny anything amiss. "You've been quiet, anxious, stand-offish, and kind of moody. Is it what I said earlier about Dane Cook? Seriously, I don't care if you listen to him for he entire trip. Honestly."

Carly lowered her head, ashamed that she had been such an awful travel companion. Here Freddie was, doing everything he could to ensure that she had an enjoyable trip, including putting her up in a nice hotel for the night, and she repays him with the silent treatment and a poor attitude. Confused feelings aside, she realized that she could, at the very least, make sure that he knew how appreciative she was of everything he was doing for her. She decided to stop avoiding him and open up…sort of.

"Oh, Freddie," she exhaled, "it's not the Dane Cook thing." She stepped to the side to allow him entrance into her room. He walked in sat on her bed, waiting for her to explain her strange behavior. She shut the door and joined him on the bed, crossing her legs Indian-style as she searched for a safe way to describe how she felt, without technically lying.

"I'm really sorry. I've been cruddy to you almost the entire ride here and it's not your fault at all. I've just been so consumed with my own issues that I took it out on you. Can you forgive me?"

Freddie patted Carly's knee gently. "Just this once," he answered jokingly. They both grinned. "So what's been on your mind?"

Carly considered that to be a dangerous question, and she knew that she would have to tread very lightly.

"It's just that I feel like I have too many things that I have to settle back in Tacoma that I feel like this trip, though needed, is only delaying the inevitable. I know I'm going to have to face it all when I get back and it's all a little overwhelming, you know?"

Freddie turned his body so that he was facing Carly completely and made solid eye contact with her. "Carly, you can't get yourself wrapped up in something that you won't have to deal with for another two weeks. You'll drive yourself crazy that way," he chided gently. "Whatever issues and conundrums you left behind in Tacoma will still be there when you get back. For now, just enjoy the ride."

"_My conundrums are much closer than you think_," she corrected in her head, but decided not to voice it.

"But isn't that kind of like running away?" she pondered aloud as she laid back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "I mean, how can I just forget that it all exists?"

Freddie nudged her, silently asking her to scoot over and make room for him. She did, and he laid beside her, laying flat on his stomach as she laid on her back. He laid his head on his side so that he could look at her.

"I'm not saying that you should completely deny or forget everything that you have to handle when you get back home, but you can certainly put them on the back burner for a little bit, whatever it is." She turned her head so that she could see him. His expression was relaxed and unassuming. She wished she could open up completely and just tell him what was wrong, that she felt like she was falling in love with him and that she hated herself for her awful timing. Of course, she couldn't bring herself to say it, and she hoped that she would never have to.

"Besides," Freddie continued, unaware that she had briefly gotten lost in her own thoughts, "there are a few instances when it's okay to run away for a little while. As long as you make sure to come back." He gave her a warm smile and playfully pinched her arm. She swatted away his hand and giggled, for what felt like first time in a ages. Suddenly, his expression changed to one more serious.

"Just promise me one thing, okay?" His eyes were pleading and his voice was soft.

"Sure, Freddie."

"If you find yourself running, make sure to take me with you," he said, making sure to maintain eye contact with her. "Better yet, promise that you won't run from _me_. I'm on your side, remember?"

His request left her almost breathless. She tore her eyes away from his, in fear that he would see right through her and discover her desire to kiss him. Ironically, the statement made her want to run further away. Deep down, however, she understood that she couldn't. Even if she had conflicting feelings toward him that she needed to eradicate (and soon), she still needed his friendship and, more importantly, he needed hers.

Before she could answer, there was a knock at the door. "Room service," the visitor announced.

"What? I didn't order room service," Carly wondered.

"No, I did," Freddie said, making his way to the door. Carly sat up as Freddie came back with a covered plate and a bottled beverage.

"I know you have to be hungry, so I got you a ham sandwich with a salad and fruit punch," he clarified as he sat the items on the bedside table. "I already kind of ate earlier when I stopped at the gas station, so I'm just going to head to bed."

Carly lifted the lid on the plate. The sandwich looked perfect and the salad was very fresh. Her stomach growled loudly at the sight.

"Freddie, you didn't -"

"-I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to," he interrupted, waving his hand dismissively. "Now eat and get some decent rest, if you can. Let try to be on the road by 7ish, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks for the dinner…again." She smiled.

"Good night, Carly," he said, walking towards their connecting door.

"Good night," Carly replied. Then she thought of his earlier request. "Um, Freddie?"

He turned just as he opened the door and gave her a quizzical look.

"I promise."

He understood what she meant immediately and gave her a tired, yet caring smile. He nodded, then disappeared behind the door. Carly smiled to herself and began eating her sandwich. She meant what she said; she wasn't going to run from him anymore.

"Well," she said to herself, "I'll try my absolute best, at least."

* * *

**A/N: As usual, thanks for reading and reviewing! Keep it going! Love you all. :-)  
**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks to her seven-hour nap on the way to the hotel, Carly did not get much sleep that night. In fact, she may have been able to stay awake if she hadn't forced herself to get a couple hours of sleep. She didn't want to throw off her sleeping schedule too much during this vacation, especially around the likes of Gibby and Sam, whom she was positive would not care about her being "too tired" and would drag her around their respective towns, no matter what.

She also resolved to be a better travel companion to Freddie. She had been asleep almost the entire drive yesterday, which could not have been much fun for him at all. She would make sure to remain awake the entire time to talk, joke around, play car games with, or just keep silent company and remain up and alert with him, as he did not have the option of drifting off to sleep as the driver. After all he's done for her, she thought, it was the least she could do for him.

She had only managed to get a little over four hours of sleep, which was good enough for her, as far as she was concerned. The hotel alarm buzzed dutifully at 6:00 a.m., waking Carly almost immediately. She pressed random buttons until she stumble upon the one labeled "silence" and swung her feet to the carpeted floor. Feeling much better than she did yesterday, she smiled and turned on the light, then allowed a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the room before making her way to the bathroom. She glanced at the door to Freddie's suite and noticed that the light was not on. She shrugged, figuring that Freddie may not be waking up until 6:30, and entered the bathroom.

After brushing her teeth, washing her face, and straightening her hair, she changed into pair of medium blue skinny jeans and a soft pink blouse that hung loosely from her frame over a dark purple spaghetti strap tank. She looked at Freddie's door again. Still no light. She looked at the clock, which read 6:36 a.m. Suspecting that he may have overslept, she went to the door and lightly knocked on it. Before she could yell his name, the door creaked open at the contact of her closed fist. Like Carly, Freddie must not have bothered to lock the door. She considered whether or not it would be a good idea to just walk in the room. Though she didn't want to invade his privacy, time was of the essence and they had to get on the road soon if they wanted to make it to Omaha at a reasonable hour. Hesitantly, she opened the door a little further and peeked inside the room. Freddie was out cold, spread carelessly on his stomach over the quilted blanked on the bed. She tip-toed into the room, getting closer and closer to the sleeping young man. She quickly made her way to the right side of the bed, where he was facing. A light snore escaped from his lips, which she found adorable and equally hilarious, as he has always denied that he snored. With his hair in all directions, a sleeping Freddie did make a very cute picture. Reluctantly, she tried to wake him up.

"Freddie," she called in low voice, gently shaking him in efforts not to startle him. Other then a slight twitch of his nose, he did not respond.

"Freeeedie," she repeated, a little louder and with a firmer shake. In reply, he made a unintelligible grunt and turned his head to the other side, snuggling deeper into the pillow. Carly put her hands on her hips and grinned in amusement, finding humor in the fact that he was the one who insisted on getting up this early, yet she was the one who was ready to go at any moment. She looked at him again with consideration and thought briefly about what she should do in order to get him up. With a smile, climbed onto the bed.

She decided to do to Freddie what Spencer would do to her when they were younger and he had difficulty getting her up: making sure not to trample his body, she stood on bed and began jumping exuberantly.

"FRED-DIE!" She yelled, as she hopped. "Get up! We-have-to-go-see-GIB-BY!" Each word was punctuated with a leap. She could vaguely hear Freddie groaning over the loud creaking of the mattress.

"Really, Carly?" Freddie moaned, his head turned facing the jumping brunette.

"Yes, Freddie! Are you awake yet?" she asked with a laugh. Without warning, Freddie reflexively grabbed one of her ankles while she was in midair, bringing her crashing down to the bed. Freddie quickly flipped himself over, grabbed the ankle again and tugged it upward so that he could tickle the bottom of her foot. She squirmed at the contact, squealing and howling with laughter.

"Ack! Fre-heh-die!" The laughter was making it harder to breath.

"Would you agree that I'm awake now?" Freddie asked, also laughing as she attempted to kick free from his strong grip.

"YES! You win! Ack! Look! I'm tapping out!" she conceded, physically tapping on the bed, signaling her defeat. Freddie gave one last pinch to her pinky toe before letting go of her ankle. She scrambled off the bed in fear that he would tickle her again.

"That, Miss Shay, was obnoxious!" Freddie said, swing himself into the sitting position at the edge of the bed.

"Don't you mean 'irresistibly adorable?'" she countered sweetly as she walked out the door, giving him an innocent smile over her shoulder.

Freddie chuckled fondly. "Yeah, that too."

* * *

Freddie didn't take long to get ready and by 7:07, they were on the road (with only two brief stops at a gas station and Skybucks). The first couple of hours flew by with the help of upbeat conversation. They talked about school, what they wanted to do after graduation, and all the things they would make sure to do the next time they were in Seattle. Then they started reminiscing about the good times they had when they were younger.

"I still can't believe you were going to let Gibby fight me during an international webcast!" Freddie cried indignantly.

Carly let out a hearty laugh. "I wouldn't have let it get too serious. Plus, Sam had convinced me that it was what the audience wanted. Besides, _you_ were the one that said we should get our numbers up by 'any means necessary,' remember?"

"Not at the cost of my face!"

"Oh, you're still such a baby about it."

Freddie shook his head, then laughed good-naturedly. Just then, Carly was struck with an idea. She gasped, then pulled out her phone from her bag. After about a minute, she began typing furiously. Freddie looked at her questioningly.

"Is something up?" he asked.

"I just got an idea!" she answered, unable to reign in the excitement in her voice. "I just tweeted an invitation for our fans to tweet a dare for Gibby to do when we see him. We can film it and air it on the show this weekend!"

"Nicely done, Carly!" Freddie looked over and saw Carly beaming at her phone.

"We already have some responses!" Carly turned the screen to Freddie so that he could see what she was talking about. He quickly glanced at the screen and saw a line of responses. He returned his focus to the road as Carly scrolled through the tweets. After a few beats of silence, Carly glanced in Freddie's direction and noticed him smirking.

"What's so funny, Benson?" she asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"Nothing's funny! It's just…" he allowed his sentence to trail off and shrugged. "I don't know, it's just that you kind of reminded me of your old self just then. You know, back when we were teens. It's been a while since I've seen you excited about something silly, that's all. I've missed it."

Carly thought about what Freddie said for a second, then smiled. "Yeah," she nodded. "Yeah, I've missed it, too."

* * *

After listening to a slew of albums, singing loudly to the radio, debating about a number of topics (one of which being Dane Cook, again), filling up the gas tank (which Carly insisted that she pay for), and an impromptu photo shoot to document their journey, they made it into Omaha around 6:40 p.m. Carly wasn't sure what to expect, but she didn't expect Omaha to look like such a _city_. She assumed that they were currently driving through the downtown area, as it was heavily occupied by skyscrapers and parking structures, occasionally broken up by a trendy-looking shop or upscale restaurant. It wasn't a bustling metropolis like New York, but it wasn't exactly an endless cow pasture.

As Freddie's GPS system brought them closer to the address that Gibby provided them earlier that day, they noticed that they were actually passing the University of Nebraska campus. Their destination came a little over a mile later, in a community called Traditions Landing. Carly's expectations were challenged again, for she pictured something similar to Greek Row on her campus, which was a row lined on each side by massive houses. Traditions Landing, however, looked more like a large brick apartment complex. She was beginning to think they were in the wrong place, but then she began to closely inspect the buildings. In front of each block of apartment, there was a building that looked like a clubhouse. In the front of each of the clubhouses where large metal Greek letters. Separating each clubhouse from their block of apartments were lawns, some of which were occupied by groups of men tossing a football, barbecuing, or just drinking beer.

"Look for the Beta Epsilon Tau clubhouse," Carly instructed. "Gibby said they are flying a flag."

Freddie leaned forward and squinted. "I think that's it in the far corner…and I'm pretty sure they're also flying a pink bra, but I really hope I'm wrong."

As they neared closer to the Beta Epsilon Tau clubhouse, which was the size of a three-bedroom house, Carly noticed that Freddie was right: underneath their waving flag was a large pink bra that hung limply from the pole.

"Uhhhh…fun?" Carly offered, cringing?

"That's one word for it," Freddie mumbled as he pulled into a visitor parking space across from the clubhouse. He shut off the engine and the two youths exited the car, taking a moment to stretch. As Carly flexed her arms above her head, she caught a glimpse of the lawn in between the clubhouse and their designated apartments. She cringed a little. It was littered with red plastic cups, broken coolers, more than one child's rubber floatation ring (though she couldn't immediately spot a pool), and yet another bra (this time, it was yellow) draped in one of the bushes.

"Boys are so gross," she mumbled to herself.

"Not all boys!" Freddie chimed indignantly as made his was to Carly's side of the car. "Maybe the inside of the place won't be so bad." Before Carly could argue with him, Freddie was calling Gibby to inform him of their arrival. By the time Carly had retrieved her purse from the front seat, Freddie was already off the phone.

"He said to walk right into the house," he said, turning to Carly. "Look, we'll make a deal: let's check out the room first. If it's too much of a bio-hazard, we'll scout a hotel in the area and I'll make up an excuse that won't sound too horrible. Deal?"

"Deal," she agreed, thankful for an alternate plan. She made a mental note to keep a close watch on all of her bras, if they decided to stay there. Freddie led the way to the front door of the club house and opened it, with trepidation. Their noses were immediately assaulted with the acrid stench of beer and stale citrus. The door was prevented from opening all the way by a discarded, rusty keg. There was a thin layer of a grime on the tile floors, which luckily were a dark brick color to begin with, and the furniture was covered in random sheets. On the wall to their left, there was a huge entertainment center hosting a large flat screen television. To their right, there was a pool table in front of the fire place, which happened to be occupied by a passed out gentleman who lay on his stomach, completely unaware of the visitors. Straight ahead there was a bright room that Carly assumed was the kitchen, as she caught a glimpse of a sink and something that looked like a dishwasher.

"Gibster?" Freddie called. Carly looked over to the pool table, where the man remained motionless, although now she could detect a faint snore coming from his direction.

A familiar voice came from the kitchen. "Freddie, is that you, brother?"

"Sure is!" Freddie replied jubilantly. "Get your ass out here!"

Gibby exited the kitchen in a tightly fitted powder blue polo shirt, multi-colored plaid shorts, and a pair of white boat shoes. His hair remained the same as ever, spiked to perfection, but his body had certainly become much more muscular, leaving the young chubby persona far in its wake. He still had the same boyish face, however, and his excitement was very apparent.

"Freddie Benson! Hug it out, bro!" he boomed, which seemed to successfully stir the previously motionless man on the pool table, much to Carly's relief. Freddie made his way around the furniture to meet Gibby half way for a bear hug. Both men were laughing and clapping each other on the back. When they pulled apart, Gibby turned towards Carly and gave her a bright smile.

"Hey, gorgeous!" he hailed, walking towards her. When he reached her, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek and a big hug. Carly could not be happier to see her good friend.

"Gibby!" she squealed. "It's been forever!"

"I know!" he agreed as he pulled away. "Man, I really miss you guys. Sam, too. I'm glad you guys were able to visit!"

"Us, too," Carly and Freddie said in unison.

Gibby clapped his hands then pointed at his two visitors. "I know you guys have to be starving. Why don't I whip you guys up some dinner here?"

Carly tried to look around the clubhouse discreetly. Its current state wasn't very welcoming and she didn't want to even see the condition of the kitchen, let alone eat anything prepared in it. She glanced over at Freddie pleadingly, praying that he could recognize her silent cry for help. He caught her eye, then quickly reacted.

"Um, actually, Gib, we thought that maybe you could show us your favorite restaurant. I mean, how often are we here?"

"You're absolutely right," Gibby agreed, "and I know just the spot. First, I'll show you the apartment you guys can crash at. And no worries, the place is much cleaner than this dump."

* * *

"Omaha is awesome, you guys," Gibby praised before taking a swig of his Heineken at the Omaha Ale House. The trio sat in a booth in the far left side of the restaurant where they laughed, reminisced, and caught up without fear of disturbing those around them. Gibby had just finished talking about his Physical Education and Nutrition degree program, which lead to a discussion about the university, which turned into a conversation about how much he loved Omaha.

"Do you really?" Freddie asked, swallowing the last bite of his ribeye. "I mean, no disrespect, but I haven't seen a whole lot out here, aside from when we first came into the city."

"See, that's the beauty of it all," Gibby leaned in closer, his elbows on the table. "There aren't a while bunch of clubs and bars and fancy restaurants out here for distraction. So, you'll find a lot of house parties, Greek and non-Greek, to get into, and not just on the weekends. That's why my frat's parties are always so out-of-control, because there's always a ton of people just trying to find a good time. The fewer the distractions, the more it challenges us bored students to get creative."

Carly listened intently as she sipped on her raspberry lemonade. What Gibby said made sense. Tacoma had its parties, but everyone knew they could drive the short distance to Seattle if they wanted to find a club or a concert to partake in. There wasn't a whole lot of energy put into house parties, and she couldn't blame anyone. Who wants to clean that up the next day?

"Well, it sounds cool, man. I'm glad you like it out here," Freddie said, with a smile.

"Thanks. But enough about me. So, Freddie, who's this girlfriend I'm hearing about?" Gibby asked with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows. Carly chose that moment to become preoccupied with her salad.

"Oh, her name is Esther. She's going to be a senior in the Fall, active in her sorority, very smart-"

"-Freddie, Freddie," Gibby held up his hands, "don't need the resume. I'm sure she's great. How does she look?"

Carly made no effort to hide her dramatic eye roll. "Boys," she muttered under her breath.

"Hey, we're disgusting. I know this," Gibby conceded, with a smirk and a shrug.

Freddie lifted from the seat slightly in order to get his phone out of his back pocket. "Speak for yourself, alright. Gibson?" He made a motion as if he was scrolling through his main screen, tapped something in the corner, then turned the phone to the other male at the table. "Here she is."

Gibby took the phone to look at the picture. He raised his eyebrows in curiosity, then gave Carly an odd look as Freddie looked down at his plate and speared a baby carrot onto his fork. "So? What do you think?"

"Uh," Gibby stalled, "she's pretty hot. Congrats, man," he said convincingly, though he gave Carly another strange look as he handed the phone back to Freddie. Carly made a mental note to ask Gibby what was going through his head just then. Obviously, he had something to say that he couldn't say in front of Freddie. Maybe he actually thought Esther looked like a man. Even though the guess was most likely wrong, she enjoyed thinking that someone else in their circle of friends thought that Esther may be wrong for Freddie.

"Thank you, sir," Freddie smirked.

"I think I'm going to have that drink, after all," Carly suddenly piped up, actively looking around for their server.

* * *

They arrived at Traditions Landing after a long dinner. They planned a day of running around the next day; Gibby would show them around town and would tape a couple dares for the upcoming special (an idea that Gibby fell in love with), all before a huge birthday bash that the fraternity was throwing for one of their brothers.

Carly was excited about the following day, but she was beyond exhausted and ready to hit the air mattress Gibby had set up for her in their apartment (which was so much cleaner than the clubhouse, much to Carly and Freddie's conjoined glee). Once the car was parked, she immediately hopped out of the car and made her way to the first floor apartment directly behind the clubhouse. Freddie took both his and Carly's suitcases out the car and effortlessly carried them to the apartment. She assumed that he was eager to get to the pull out couch he had claimed. As he pulled to the front of the trio, Carly took the opportunity to get Gibby's attention.

"Gibby," she whispered harshly. He stopped walking and turned to Carly, who jogged up to him so that she could speak more freely. "In the restaurant earlier," she asked, walking them slowly to the apartment, "You kept giving me this weird look when you looked at Esther's picture."

Gibby's eyes gave a brief flash, then turned his gaze straight ahead towards the apartment.

"Why, Carly, I haven't the slightest idea of what you're talking about," he said, in an unconvincing monochromatic voice.

"Seriously, Gibby!" Carly whined, a little louder than she meant to. They stopped walking and Gibby faced her, head on. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Now tell me, what was that about?"

"Carly, why does it matter so much?" he asked with a laugh.

"It doesn't," she rushed to deny. She was then hit with Gibby's "Don't Lie To Me" face. She sighed. "Okay, it matters a little."

Gibby gave her a look that was a mixture of amusement and pity. Then he sighed, and Carly could immediately tell that he was choosing his words very carefully.

"Okay, all I'll say is this," he offered, he said in a low voice as they reached the door. Gibby slowly continued to the stairwell just to the right, leading to the second floor of apartments. Without turning completely around, he looked over his shoulder "If I were you, I'd be flattered."

And with that cryptic note, he made his way up the steps.

* * *

**A/N: First, I must apologize for the long wait! I've been very sick and only recently found the energy to finish this chapter. I hope you liked it!**

**The reviews have really kept me going, you guys! Thank you all so much! It makes it so easy to keep writing and I can't thank you all enough for that!**

**Just to be clear on two points: 1.) I actually like Dane Cook and his comedy is enjoyable to me (big shocker there) and 2.) the Omaha Ale House in this story is not, in any way, a portrayal of any specific restaurant in Omaha or any other place in America. I'm sure the real Omaha Ale House (if there is one) properly cards their underage patrons and this fictional establishment did not. In any case, the drinking in this chapter was completely harmless.**

**Anyways, I love you all and I'm so glad to be writing again. Hopefully, you'll see more from me much sooner than later. :o)**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly.**

* * *

The next day proved to be just as busy as Carly had suspected it would be. After awaking at 9:15 in the morning, she quickly showered and dressed, then met Freddie and Gibby in the clubhouse. Almost immediately, Gibby whisked them away to a local breakfast diner, where she was treated to the most amazing pancakes she had ever tasted. After breakfast, Gibby showed them some of the local sites of Omaha. First, they toured the University of Nebraska campus, which was surprisingly busy for the summer.

"Finals are this week," Gibby explained. "I don't have any finals until Wednesday, and all I practically have to do is show up!"

"Must be nice," Freddie joked. Carly really enjoyed touring the campus. She always thought University of Washington's campus was pretty, but there was something refreshing about this campus. Between the beautiful landscaping, the perfectly warm weather, and the historical-looking buildings, the different elements of the campus really came together to create a picturesque scene.

"You can snap a picture at any point and, no matter what, you'd have a perfect cover for a university pamphlet," Carly marveled as she took in the scenery.

"For now," Gibby added with a tone of warning. "Come back and visit during Rush Week. Whole different story, my friends, let me tell you."

After touring campus for about an hour, he took them to Old Market, where they saw some of the town's preserved buildings and trendy shops. There were little craft stands along the cobbled road, which kind of reminded Carly of the street fair she and Freddie went to back in Seattle, but on a slightly smaller, more laid-back scale.

"These people set up these stands everyday except for Sundays and holidays," Gibby explained as they strolled down the street. "You can find really cool stuff here if you take the time to look. I found a light that you mount to the wall that's shaped like a huge Budweiser bottle. It's back at the club house and hanging over the bar! Best contribution I've made to the house yet!"

Both Carly and Freddie laughed as they continued down the cobbled road. The three continued to wander casually around Old Market for a while until Gibby chose to stop at a barber shop for a quick trim before the party that night. The other two were encouraged to continue looking while he got his haircut. Carly thought briefly about following Gibby into the shop and asking him to explain what he meant the previous night. Why should she feel flattered by Freddie's choice in a girlfriend? Does he think she's hideous? "_Doubtful_," she thought. "_Even I can admit she's hot, even if she can be a little annoying._" She made a point to talk to him during the party, when it was much busier and Freddie was distracted.

Carly stopped briefly at a stand that sold sunglasses, where Freddie convinced her to buy a chic pair of pink shades. In return, Carly tried her best to talk Freddie into purchasing a pair of dark brown cowboy boots from a charismatic shoemaker, a short, overly tan man with sandy brown hair and a receding hairline.

"C'mon! You _have_ to!" Carly pleaded, holding the boots up to her chin. "I've never seen you wear boots and they'd look awesome on you!"

"Well, you've never seen me wear boots because we live in _Washington_," Freddie emphasized, "and while I don't doubt that I would look smoking hot in these bad boys, where the hell would I wear them?" He took the boots from Carly so that he could examine them. They were simple and the cool leather felt baby soft in his hands. It was definitely a well-crafted shoe (not to mention that it aroused certain childhood fantasies of being a tough, pistol-toting cowboy), but there really weren't many opportunities to wear country attire in a place like Tacoma.

"If you get them, I promise to take you to that country bar across from campus on your 21st birthday," she promised in a sing-song voice. "Free drinks and line-dancing. How can you even resist?"

"You should listen to the pretty lady!" said the shoemaker, who had a thick Italian accent. "You won't find another boot like this in the entire state! They can be yours for thirty dollars."

"Such a good deal! Freddie, _come on_!" Carly gushed. Freddie laughed at her persistence, took one last look at the boots, then reached into his back pocket for his wallet. Carly clapped as Freddie paid the shoemaker, who quickly took his money and wrapped the boots carefully in white tissue paper before boxing them and handing them to Freddie.

"The things I let you talk me into," he mused, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry," Carly said loudly, pretending to have difficulty hearing him. " I can't hear you over the awesomeness of your new, hot boots!"

* * *

The dares that the gang had chosen turned out to be much more entertaining than they had hoped. They taped the first dare close to campus, where Gibby donned a dog costume, covered in dirt, and Carly begged random passersby to give him a bath in a kiddy pool filled with sudsy soap water. After many people declined, two people did attempt to scrub Gibby, who would bark loudly and try to run around the pool whenever they got close. The first person ended up throwing the scrub brush at Gibby in frustration and walking away. The second person actually chased Gibby around the pool before climbing into the pool herself and wrestling him to the ground, pinning him down and scrubbing him mercilessly. After she finished, she smiled triumphantly and pulled out a scrap piece of paper and an eyeliner pencil, with which she scribbled her phone number and handed it to Gibby. Then she blew him a kiss before walking away. Gibby stood still, shocked.

"Yeeeeaaaah," Gibby slowly exhaled, "that was weird, she was freakishly strong, and I'm not going to call her." He tore up the number as Carly and Freddie laughed hysterically. He got out of the costume and dressed in his regular clothes for the second dare, which took place in a smoothie shop that Gibby frequented. One of the iCarly fans dared Gibby to recreate a segment he did where recited vocabulary words while brushing his teeth with mustard, only this time, he had to drink a smoothie made of beets, brussel sprouts, and peas. The teen behind the counter was so amused by the stunt that he agreed to help them out by taking the vegetables from Carly and blending them to perfection. He poured the contents in a clear glass and handed it to Gibby. The mixture was a putrid brown color and smelled so awful that Carly gagged a little, but Gibby bravely sipped the concoction while reciting words, such as "evocative," "perfunctory," and "tenacity." When finished, all Gibby did was shrug and say, "Hey, it tastes like one of my protein shakes! Besides, if you had to see some of the stuff I had to drink just to become a Beta Ep, you'd die on the spot."

* * *

After a successful day of taping, Freddie, Carly, and Gibby had an early dinner at a pizzeria and chatted idly. Before leaving, they made a quick phone call to Sam so that Gibby could say hello and catch up with her. They made there way back to the fraternity's house just before 7:00 p.m., where Freddie and Carly met some of Gibby's fraternity brothers, Oinker (the man passed out on the pool table when they arrived the day before. Ironically, quite skinny for someone named "Oinker"), Tanner, a surfer type with shoulder length blonde hair, and D.J., a husky man with glasses and spiky black hair. They were very welcoming to the visitors, especially Tanner, who was overtly flirtatious with Carly. Carly giggled nervously at the attention, though she didn't find Tanner to be her type at all. She thought she caught a glimpse of Freddie rolling his eyes, and she wondered if that was a reaction to Tanner's flirting. She shook away the thought just as the three gentlemen departed to pick up the liquor for the party that night.

"You guys should get some rest before the party," Gibby suggested to his two friends. "It's going to get pretty wild pretty quickly and you definitely don't want to fall asleep around these guys."

"That's a great idea, Gibby," Carly agreed, yawning almost on cue. "I didn't realize how tired I was until just now."

"Same," Freddie stated simply. "We'll head back here around ten. Cool?"

"Yeah, that'll be perfect," Gibby nodded. "I'll be in here cleaning up if you guys need anything."

"Thanks, Gibby!" Carly said as her and Freddie departed from the clubhouse and headed back to their host apartment.

"So do you think tonight's going to be an eventful one?" Freddie asked as they walked the short distance to their place.

"I hope not too eventful," Carly answered, "especially if we have to get on the road early tomorrow."

"I agree. Let's just try to have a good enough time to blend in. Then we'll make it back here by one in the morning. That should give us enough time to pack, get a little sleep, and head on the road around 9-ish."

"Sounds good enough to me," Carly acquiesced, her voice dripping with fatigue as she unlocked the apartment door with the key Gibby gave her. Upon entering, Freddie flopped on the couch while Carly made a beeline for the air mattress, which she immediately began to re-inflate. Before throwing herself onto the mattress and drifting off, she set an alarm on her phone for 9:30. "_Maybe the party will be low key_," Carly thought optimistically. With that thought, her exhaustion finally claimed her as she drifted off into a deep sleep.

After what felt like only seconds after she closed her eyes, Carly's phone's sounded, her alarm effectively jarring her from her slumber. Though tempted to hit the snooze button, she reminded herself that she needed to get ready for the party that evening. She had only been to one other frat party in her life, but she had gone as somebody's date and it was a costume party. This party was simply a birthday celebration and she had a feeling that the vibe would be low key. She grabbed her flat iron from her suitcase and went to the bathroom in the hallway. Upon reaching the door she nearly bumped into Freddie. The sight before her all but knocked her over: a freshly showered, clean shaven Freddie stepped out of the bathroom, hair and skin damp and glistening with a fluffy orange towel wrapped tightly around his waist. Carly's eyes were immediately drawn to his lean and muscular chest, then subconsciously traveled down to his toned stomach.

"_Ohmygodohmygodohmygod_," she panicked inwardly, once she realized she was staring, and she tore her eyes away in haste. Freddie tightened the towel around his waist.

"Sorry, Carly, I thought I would be finished by the time you woke up," he rushed to explain.

"No, it's completely fine," Carly said in a casual tone, trying her best to sound unaffected and not to add anymore awkwardness to the situation.

"Well, the bathroom's all yours now, Carls. Wanna head over there in thirty minutes?" he shouted over his shoulder as he reached his bags next to the couch.

"Yeah, that's cool," she squeaked in reply and quickly shut the door. Back against the door, Carly slumped to the ground and exhaled loudly. "You're in trouble, Carly," she moaned to herself. "You are definitely in trouble."

* * *

Gibby had done an such an incredible job cleaning up the clubhouse that it was barely recognizable. The floor was spotless, the sheets previously draping the furniture were nowhere to be seen, the place smelled like bleach, and the rusty keg had been replaced with a shiny new one and was sitting and a large metal tub filled with ice in the kitchen. Some of the fraternity brothers were setting up multiple liquor bottles on the large, heavy duty bar. Carly noticed that the pool table had been replaced with a large ping pong table, which she assumed would be used beer pong later in the evening. There was a small group of girls exiting the kitchen, each carrying a bunch of empty fruit juice cartons as they left the clubhouse. The petite, busty redhead tailing the group caught sight of Freddie and made no effort to hide the fact that she was staring at him. Freddie returned her stare with one of his own, which reflected a mixture of confusion and amusement. Carly was overcome with the desire to pluck the redhead's eyes from their sockets and toss them into the fireplace.

"Guys! You're awake!" Gibby hailed from the kitchen entrance. He was holding an empty liquor handle and a full trash bag. "We're just setting up the finishing touches before the party starts. Feel free to grab a drink and make yourselves comfortable. Enjoy the calm now because this place is going to be in full swing before you know it!" He exited the clubhouse, leaving Carly and Freddie to help themselves.

Carly took a look around at her beverage options. She wasn't a fan of hard liquor and she hated beer even more. She didn't spot any non-alcoholic options right away and she was beginning to wonder if there were any safe options available.

"Looking for something a little less grisly?" asked a husky voice from behind. She turned around to find Tanner, who had a smirk on his face.

"Yeah, I kind of was," she replied. "Know where I can find some water or a diet soda?"

"Well," he said, grimacing, "I can get you something from the fridge if that's what you guys want, but c'mon, this is supposed to be a party. Besides, I think they just made a fresh batch of Zeus Juice in the kitchen, in honor of the birthday boy. I can grab you cup, if you'd like. Trust me, it's awesome."

"Well, it does sound interesting…" Carly said shyly.

"We'd both like a cup, Tanner, thanks," Freddie interjected abrasively. Carly looked back at him and saw him smiling politely, but could immediately tell by the look in his eyes that he was not a fan of Tanner. She found it a little perplexing, as he had been nothing but accommodating to the both of them since they met him.

"Cool, I'll be right back," Tanner replied, though he kept his eyes on Carly. Once he disappeared in the kitchen, Carly rounded on Freddie.

"What's the matter with you?" she asked in a hushed tone.

"I don't like the guy, Carly!"

"How can that be? Have you even had a conversation with him?"

"Don't need to," Freddie replied stubbornly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You're ridiculous," Carly said laughingly, completely confused by Freddie's behavior. Before she could ponder it any further, Tanner came back with three cups filled with ice and a small pitcher full of red liquid. He handed Carly and Freddie their cups, reserved one for himself, and poured a drink for each of them from the pitcher.

"So this is called Zeus Juice because….?" Carly inquired, looking into her cup.

"Oh, it something that our brother, Zeus, whipped up. It's actually his birthday that we're celebrating tonight," Tanner answered, setting the pitcher down on the table. "Careful, though. It tastes incredible, but it'll bite you in the ass if you don't pace yourself. Cheers!"

Tanner rose his cup to Carly and Freddie, who mimicked the gesture, and the three of them took a sip. Carly was pleasantly surprised by the sweet taste that enveloped her taste buds, especially since she expected something much more toxic. The concoction went down her throat so smoothly that she began to question whether it actually contained any alcohol until she felt the telltale cool sensation in her chest, which was followed by a slight burn… a _good_ burn. She took another dragging sip of the icy, saccharine beverage and reveled in the prolonged sensation in her chest. Within minutes, Gibby returned with the group of girls from earlier (including the curious redhead), along with a large group of new party-goers.

"Alright, let's get this party started!" Gibby shouted at the clubhouse occupants, who cheered in response. One of the brothers standing by the entertainment center pushed a button on the stereo and music blasted from the surround sound and permeated through the entire clubhouse. Carly turned around to say something to Freddie, but the redhead wasted no time cornering him into conversation. She couldn't hear what the girl was saying, but the shocked look on Freddie's face gave her the impression that the redhead was speaking very boldly.

She suddenly felt upset with Freddie, but she couldn't name a specific reason. Maybe she didn't like the fact that he didn't immediately push the girl away in order to keep her company. It could have been the fact that he had the gall to make a snap judgment about Tanner, yet he somehow couldn't recognize a _slut_ when he saw one. She wasn't sure why she was mad at him, but all she knew was that Freddie Benson wasn't the only one that could find a little conversation. She took another long sip from her cup and looked around the room. Another group of party guests entered the house and the music pumped a little louder in her ear.

Carly looked around for a familiar face (preferably Gibby's) when she heard Tanner calling her name from the newly set-up beer pong table. She made her way through the ever-growing crowd to the table surrounded by a number of fraternity members and a handful of their female followers.

"Do you want to play a little beer pong?" Tanner asked, gesturing towards the table.

"Oh, no thanks, Tanner, I don't really like the game that much. I'll watch you play, though."

"Well, that's not as fun, but whatever," he laughed. Carly shrugged and took another sip of her drink only to find that that particular sip drained her cup. Surprised, she looked around for the pitcher that Tanner brought from the kitchen, which she found on fireplace mantle, and filled her cup before returning to the beer pong table. The song in the background changed to an old My Chemical Romance song. Though the song wouldn't stand out to her on a normal day, the pulsating beat merged so well with the current environment that it became her favorite song in _that_ moment. She was sure that she could feel the music in her veins as her body swayed in time to the music involuntarily, but she didn't mind because, right this moment, Carly felt _great_.

* * *

As the night progressed, Freddie continued to nurse the cup of Zeus Juice that he received at the start of the party. He had plenty of experience with alcoholic drinks with deceiving tastes to know that the ones that tasted the sweetest usually intoxicated you the quickest and, for some reason, he felt like this wasn't the venue in which to get sloppy drunk. He quickly realized that he was alone in this sentiment, however, when he noticed that mostly everyone around was well past drunk. He wondered briefly if any of these people had final exams the next day, though he figured that at this point these people were well past caring one way or the other. Just as Gibby had promised, the party had filled up pretty quickly and the noise level had escalated to fever pitch. He looked around for Carly or Gibby, but the sea of faces made it difficult to find anyone familiar.

Freddie decided to walk around and try to find Carly, even though he feared running into Annette, the talkative, highly flirtatious redhead that introduced herself at the beginning of the night. Freddie never handled aggressive attention well, so when she made a point to tell him how hot she thought he was, he immediately thanked her than politely informed her that he had a girlfriend. She automatically assumed that he was referring to Carly and for the sake of getting her to leave him alone, he didn't bother to correct her. He made a mental note to clue Carly in on the ruse once he ran into her.

"If _you ever run into her_," he thought as he battled the crowed of drunken partiers. "_If this crowd hasn't swallow her whole!_"

Between all the noise, the wall-to-wall bodies, and the overpowering stench of beer, Freddie was beginning to wish he had sat the party out and just watched a movie with Carly in their guest apartment. The thought made him desperate to find her and convince her to leave the party a little early. He just wanted to mellow out and have a peaceful evening before they had to drive the distance tomorrow morning. He wondered what time it was, though he guessed that it was only 11:30. When he couldn't find a clock, he pulled out his phone. Instead of the digital clock display, the screen informed him that he had another missed call. He clicked the "view" button and confirmed a third missed call from Esther. He closed his eyes and exhaled anxiously. He had not spoken to his girlfriend since him and Carly stayed at that hotel in Montana. He had sent her a quick text to let her know that he was alright just before they arrived to Omaha, but that was about it. He just didn't feel like fielding a ton of questions about his trip, or how much he missed her, or why he couldn't bring her in the first place, or when he was coming back to Tacoma. He just wanted to enjoy the trip and live in the moment, not spend most of it on the phone with someone who would ultimately try to make him feel guilty for leaving her behind.

"_And I really don't feel like being called 'Freddiekins_,'" he thought. "_Seriously, mom isn't even that brutal_."

He continued to look around for Carly, with very little luck, and found himself standing next to the entertainment system. He was beginning to get very worried. What if she was lead to one of the fraternity member's apartments? Carly was certainly not the type of girl to just go home with a random stranger, but with the amount of liquor flowing at this party, he couldn't be too careful. He was contemplating leaving the clubhouse and looking for her when the music changed.

**_Baby, Baby  
Right where I wanna be  
Baby, Baby  
Don't let love make a fool of me  
Yeah  
I want it and I need it  
Oh, my body just won't lie  
And, oh yeah, I feel it when you try and kill it  
Oh, but it just won't die _**

Just then, the crowd near the bar let out a cheer. He turned towards the commotion to find Carly had climbed on top of the bar, along with two other very intoxicated girls, and started dancing seductively to the music. Freddie's eyes grew to the size of saucers. Freddie could tell that Carly was beyond drunk; that could be the only possible reason for her behavior. Sure, he had wanted her to let loose on this trip, but this is not what he had in mind. The ogling group of men below, including Tanner (which came as no surprise to Freddie), were encouraging the girls to let go of their inhibitions. Carly swung her hair and gyrated her hips with a drunken abandon, which Freddie assumed was her best attempt to be sexy, but just came across as uncoordinated, spastic jerking. This didn't deter the crowd of boozy men from eyeballing her, though, as their own beer goggles made them believe that this was the sexiest performance they had ever witnessed.

**_Who knew that one to the head and then one more to the heart could make you feel alright  
Oh, won't you come set me free take me out of my misery and make me feel alright_**

**_LOVE GUN  
Oh, you shot me baby  
Love gun  
Oh, you got me baby _**

At the encouragement of the crowd, one of the girls thought she would up the ante by removing her top, leaving her in a lacy blue bra and a pair of tight jeans. The crowd cheered uproariously as she swung her blouse over her head and flung it into the crowd. Freddie suddenly feared that Drunk Carly would take this is a challenge and would soon follow suit. He immediately sprung into action and started to push his way through the crowd, towards the bar. He heard someone yell, "Hey!" far behind him and quickly turned around. Gibby had appeared at the entrance of the clubhouse and looked just as panicked to find Carly on top of the bar as he was. He started to push his way through the crowd as well, but he was too far back to get to her in a reasonable amount of time. Freddie continued to plow through the crowd until he got to the bar, just at Carly's feet.

"Carly!" he shouted over the noise. "Get down from there!"

"_Yooouuu_ are not father, Fredwaaard Benshun!" she pointed and slurred. Her hands flew to the hem of her top and she began to lift it, slowly revealing her stomach. Freddie reacted immediately, wrapping his arms around her midsection and lifting her off the bar, throwing her unceremoniously over his shoulder. The boozy crowd of men booed and hissed at the sudden interruption of their entertainment.

"Hey, put her down!"

"She's having a good time, jackass!"

"Who are you, the police?"

Freddie could feel the rage coursing through his blood, along with a kicking and struggling Carly. He tightened his grip to prevent himself from dropping her, then he spotted Gibby making his way a little closers.

"Gibby, call off the dogs or else it's about to get really ugly!" Freddie shouted commandingly.

"Already on it, brother!" Gibby replied, recognizing that Freddie meant business. He cleared a path for Freddie and simultaneously shouted at his fraternity brothers to calm down. Freddie carried Carly through the path and out the door with Gibby close behind.

"Wherrre you takin' me, Freddie?" Carly asked, still trying to wiggle her way out of Freddie's grip.

"To bed," he answered shortly.

"Oooooh, Freddie, I'm not that kind of girl!" Carly purred. "But I jus' may change my tune tonight if I can get a peek of that nice butt of yours!" She lift herself just slightly so that she could smack Freddie's bottom, just to emphasize her point. Her sudden physicality made Freddie jump.

"Carly!" he cried as he picked up the pace. If this had been any other time, he would have been flattered beyond belief, but he knew that this was mainly fueled by the alcohol. He could hear Gibby snickering behind him. When he turned around to glare disapprovingly at him, Gibby immediately stopped.

"Sorry, man," he apologized, "I've just never seen her this drunk before. Here, toss me the keys and I'll run ahead and unlock the door."

Freddie quickly dug in his front pocket and tossed Gibby the key. As promised, he ran in front to unlock their door while Freddie continued down the path the apartment.

"C'mon, take me back to the party, I wanna daaaaance," Carly whined, trying to kick a little more.

"Party's over, Carls," Freddie replied. "We need to get you to bed."

"No!" Carly shouted, though some of the fight was leaving her body. They reached the door, which Gibby was holding open for them, and Freddie began to take her to her room.

"Freeeeeediiieeee," Carly moaned, then released a small burp. "Bathroom?"

Freddie immediately got the gist and rushed her to a bathroom. Once inside, he placed her gently on the floor and lifted the toilet seat. She immediately knelt down and hovered her head above the porcelain bowl. Freddie collected her hair and gently pulled it back from her face just in time for her to heave and vomit most of the contents of her stomach. He briefly flashed back to a time during freshman year when they were in this exact position after Carly's first brush with rum. He had been there for her then, just as he was for her now. Though he hated to see her this way (and he definitely hated to see anyone vomit, as it made him very queasy), he was glad that he was able to be here for her once again, and he was even more thankful to have gotten her away from that party in time to save her from any real embarrassment.

After Carly successfully emptied her stomach, she coughed and spat one final time.

"Icky," she stated simply. Despite the gruesome scene, Freddie couldn't help but find her adorable in this moment. "_Still beautiful_," he thought. With a small smile, he helped her to her feet so that she could rinse out her mouth and wash her hands and face. Gibby appeared at the door of the bathroom.

"Hey, I put a few bottles of water near her mattress and cleared a space on it for her to lay down."

"Thanks, man," Freddie exhaled as he gently rubbed Carly's back while she cleaned up. "Hey, go back to your party man. We'll be fine here."

"Are you sure?" Gibby asked with caution. "Because I can stay here-"

"-No, it's cool. Just go, before they tear your clubhouse apart."

"Oh, the place is indestructible, but alright, I'll head back," Gibby relented. "But I'll have my phone on me. Call me if you need anything, alright?"

"Sure, Gib, thanks a lot," Freddie said as Carly shut off the faucet. Gibby left as Carly tried to make her way out of the bathroom. When she swayed so much that she nearly fell on her face, Freddie caught her before she hit the ground, then placed an arm behind her knees and lifted her into his arms. He carried her to her room and placed her on her mattress. He removed her shoes and her earrings in an effort to make her just a little more comfortable.

"Freeeeddie, are you mad at meee?" Carly asked in a small voice.

Freddie smirked. "No, sweetie, I'm not mad. I just want you to get some rest. You're in for a difficult morning."

"Freddie, will y'stay with me?" Carly asked as she rolled over, her eyes tightly shut.

"Carls, I don't know if that's such a good idea," Freddie answered cautiously. Truthfully, he wanted nothing more than to remain by her side and stroke her hair until she fell asleep, but he instantly felt guilty for even entertaining the thought.

"Oh, yeaaahh," Carly breathed, "I get it. Esther prob'ly wouldn't like that too much, huh?" Carly said knowingly. Freddie didn't respond; he simply allowed his head to drop. Carly rolled on her back and opened her eyes just enough to spot Freddie.

"Freddie c'mere, I'm gonna tell you a secret," she slurred, beckoning him to come closer.

Though hesitant, Freddie's curiosity convinced him to obey. He came to Carly's bedside, kneeling beside her.

"What is it, Carly?"

She rolled a little closer to Freddie so that she could whisper to him, though they were the only ones in the room and Carly's ability to whisper softly was a altered by the intoxication.

"Esther," she began, "is the wooooooorsssst."

Freddie was surprised by Carly's drunken admission. As far as he knew, she didn't have a problem with her. Aside from Esther's minor insecurities with his and Carly's friendship, Esther didn't have a real problem with Carly, either. Their interaction with each other was limited, so he really couldn't pinpoint where Carly's disapproval was coming from. Freddie was so confused that he didn't know how to respond.

"I mean it!" Carly said, a little louder. "She's not good enough for you, Freddie. Not even close."

"Carly, you've had a lot to drink," Freddie reasoned with her. "You don't know what you're saying, just go to bed."

"Suuuuuuuure, Fredwarrrrrd, blaaame it on the alcohol, but you know I'm not lying," she said in a sing song voice. "She's not the right one for you. She [hiccup] doesn't get you, Freddie!"

"Oh, really?" Freddie said, unable to stop himself from finding amusement in this revelation. Yes, she was drunk, but she seemed to have so much to say.

"Yes, really [hiccup]," she answered, trying to mock him, then she pointed at him. "I get you, Freddie. I get you soooo much," she said, patting her chest. "I've always understood you. Esther doesn't get you, Freddie. I get you, I do, I reaalllly do…"

Freddie stopped breathing for a second. She couldn't possibly mean what he thought she meant, could she? He dreamed of her saying something like that for a long time. Admittedly, he still fantasized about her wanting to be with him at times, but there's no way that she could have meant anything along those lines. She was drunk and at the end of the day, they were just best friends, right? He shook away the thought. There was no point in reading too much into anything that she said tonight. She was too far gone and couldn't be taken seriously.

"Carly, sweetie, try to get some rest," he encouraged her.

"Please stay with me, Freddie," she begged. "I don't want to be by myself. You don't have t'sleep on the bed with me. Just stay in the room with me, please?"

He thought about it for a minute, then he got up and went out to the living room and grabbed the sofa cushions, pillows and blanket. He took the items back to Carly's room and fashioned a makeshift bed next to the mattress. He agreed that sleeping on the mattress would not be appropriate, but he didn't want to leave her alone in her time of need.

"I'm right here, Carly. I'm not going anywhere. Just try to get some rest, okay?"

"'kay, Freddie. Thank you, I love you," she said, already drifting off to sleep.

"Love you, too, I'll see you in the morning."

"I get you, Freddie," Carly muttered, unable to fight the liquor and exhaustion much longer. "Not Esther, me. You…me…we get each other." The room finally became silent as sleep claimed Carly. Freddie stared at her with forlorn eyes, unable to discard her alcohol-induced confessions from his brain. He sighed, then whispered to her unconscious form.

"I know, Carly. We get each other. We always have."

* * *

**A/N: Song credit - **"**Love Gun" by Cee-lo Green featuring Lauren Bennett.**

**OVER 100 REVIEWS! You guys, that's amazing! Thank you so much for the support, as well as those who have added this story to their alerts and favorites! It honestly means the world to me! Even if you're just reading along and keeping silent, thank you for spending some of your time to read the story. I appreciate it all the same!**

**This is a long chapter. Some might like that, others might not. I just wanted to get as much in as possible, because I wanted Omaha to be a significant stop on this road trip. I hope you all liked it, because I enjoyed writing it!**

**I hope you all have an amazing day! Continue to read and review!**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	11. Chapter 11

As soon as she opened her eyes on Tuesday morning and turned over, Carly became immediately aware of three things. Firstly, the taste in her mouth was the worst she'd ever experienced, far worse than any morning breath to date. It was a combination of a stale vodka and too much sugar and all she wanted to do was scrub her mouth with toothpaste and industrial soap. Secondly, flipping over proved to be a dizzying action. Her head felt like it was spinning and detached from her body all at once, and she shuttered to think of what would happen if she sat up or, heaven forbid, tried to stand. Finally, she registered the misplaced sofa cushions and blanket huddled next to her mattress. She guessed that Freddie must have spent the night in her room as a way of keeping an eye on her.

"Probably because I was such a drunk mess last night," she presumed aloud, clutching her throbbing temple. She looked around for her phone, which she was unable to locate. As she looked around her little bed for her cell, she suddenly realized that she had no clue how she made it to her bed the night before. She was still wearing the navy blue cotton shorts and magenta peasant blouse from the night before and she was sure that the little eye make-up she decided to wear was now a smudged disaster. Was she so incapacitated that she couldn't even manage to get into some pajamas and wash her face?

To make matters worse, she could not remember a thing beyond watching Tanner play beer pong, and she was fairly certain that was earlier in the night. She was sure that in the remainder of the time spent at the party she had somehow managed to do or say something to fully embarrass herself. Obviously, she was in a pretty bad state if Freddie felt the need to stay with her through the night. As she laid back and rubbed her temples, she vaguely wondered what happened to the plan to have a low-key night.

She heard a light knock on the door frame and slowly lifted her head to find Freddie staring back at her, wearing a pair of gray basketball shorts and plain white t-shirt.

"Good morning, sunshine!" he greeted brightly, his smirk evident on his face. Carly groaned in response, unable to verbalize anything due to the massive headache that was building. Freddie chuckled lightly at the sight, stepping into the room. "I'm guessing that you're not having a pleasant morning?"

"Freddie, if you told me that I had been hit by a van last night, just before my head managed to get caught between some elevator doors, I wouldn't bat an eyelash."

Freddie laughed even harder, which elicited a small smile from Carly. He sat on the corner of the air mattress, just at her feet. Carly laid back and ran her hands through her hair. "Freddie, be honest. How bad was I last night? Did I embarrass myself? Do I have to apologize to anyone?"

Freddie looked up at the ceiling, as if he was thinking carefully. "You definitely had a fair amount to drink, but so did most people. If you did anything to embarrass yourself, everyone else was too drunk to notice. And no, no apologies are necessary." He looked back at Carly and gave her a warm smile.

"Thanks, Freddie. I appreciate that," she said, returning the smile. Freddie patted her ankle and stood up. Carly was slightly comforted, but she still felt like he was withholding information. Rather than push the issue, she slowly sat up and attempted to stand. As soon as she did so, she was fiercely attacked by nausea and dizziness. She almost fell over, but Freddie caught her just in time.

"Woah!" he exclaimed. "Easy, there."

"Oh, my God, I feel terrible. What time is it?"

"Almost eight," Freddie answered. "I'm already showered and packed, so we'll head out whenever you're up to it. No rush."

"No, I'll be alright," she insisted, steadying herself on her feet. "I just need to shower and get my things together. It shouldn't take too long."

"Okay. I'll make some coffee."

Carly smiled by way of saying "thank you" and headed to the bathroom. She took a long, hot shower, brushed her teeth (making sure to rinse her mouth with mouthwash twice), and washed her face with cold water in an attempt to sober herself up just a little more. She brushed her hair and tied it up in a messy bun. She went to the room and noticed that her stuff was in a neat pile next to her suitcase and the air mattress was already deflated. She made a mental note to tell Freddie how grateful she was for him when she was less hungover and a more capable of conversation.

After packing and drinking half a cup of coffee, she put on the pink shades that she purchase the day before and headed to the clubhouse with her things, where she presumed Freddie and Gibby were. She opened the door to find the clubhouse in the same state it was in when she and Freddie first arrived: the floor was a sticky mess, the furniture was covered in sheets, any pictures or hangings on the wall were askew, and the place reeked of beer, which made Carly even more nauseous. Freddie was playing pool by himself while Gibby was at the bar, using the blender. The clacking of the pool balls and the loud buzzing of the blender worked together to intensify Carly's headache. Gibby noticed her and welcomed her excitedly, despite her obviously troubled state.

"Well, good morning, rock star!" Gibby smiled, grabbing an empty plastic cup from the top of the bar. Carly groaned weakly and flopped onto the couch, leaning over and propping her head on her elbows. Gibby chuckled at the sight as he poured the blended beverage into a cup and walked over to Carly.

"Here," he said, thrusting the concoction into Carly's direction. She looked up curiously at the cup.

"What's this?" she asked, hesitantly taking the cup from Gibby.

"That's a full-proof hangover smoothie remedy," Gibby explained, pointing at the beverage. "Ginger ale, pineapple juice, a banana, and a shot of Pepto Bismol. Trust me, this will set you right and bring back your appetite before you know it…which you'll need, because we're all grabbing breakfast before you guys head out."

The thought of food made Carly's stomach churn and the look of the smoothie didn't quell that feeling. Carly figured that the blend would have probably been much more appealing, if not for the Pepto Bismol. Carly scrunched up her nose, then took a gulp of the remedy. Surprisingly, the mix didn't taste nearly as awful as she had anticipated, though she hoped that she would never need a reason to drink it again.

"How can you look so damn peppy and alert, Gibby?" Carly asked, taking another sip of her drink. "I know you drank more than me and I feel like death!"

"Carly, c'mon. Look at me," he said cockily as he took a step back with his arms outstretched. "I'm kind of a tank. You're gonna need a lot more than a few cups of Zeus Juice to take me down."

Freddie laughed and Carly finished her smoothie, feeling a little more hydrated than she did before. The three left the clubhouse and went to another breakfast diner a little closer to campus. Both men had a large breakfast, while Carly had a small bowl of oatmeal with diced bananas, which she had trouble getting into. Gibby filled them in on everything that happened once they left the party, including the guest of honor not showing up to his own party until one in the morning, a group of drunk fraternity brothers managing to steal their rival fraternity's flag, and a fight that erupted between two of the girls in attendance. Carly felt so drained that she had a difficult time keeping up with the multiple stories. Though she would miss Gibby very much, she was ready to get in the car and sleep off the rest of her hangover.

After an hour of eating, reminiscing, and laughter, the three friends waited in line to pay for their meal. Freddie informed the other two that he would use the bathroom once he finished paying. Once Carly and Gibby paid for breakfast, Gibby led Carly outside towards the car, apparently wishing to talk to her in private, away from Freddie.

"So, Carly, I've been meaning to give you a pep talk of sorts about things that I've noticed while you and Freddie have been in town."

Carly was highly confused about Gibby's sudden desire to talk to her in private and the need to speak away from Freddie. Before she could ask him to enlighten her, he continued.

"Look, I don't have time for you to deny how you feel or pretend that you have no clue as to what I'm talking about, so just listen carefully to what I'm saying. We're young, but time flies. Opportunities are short lived and nothing is promised to any of us, so we shouldn't wait around for the things that we want to fall into our laps. Trust me, things don't happen that way."

Carly has never heard Gibby talk so thoughtfully before. In all honesty, it actually scared her a little.

"All I'm saying," Gibby continued, "is that we shouldn't let unimportant things or people stand in the way of what we want. Parents, friends, girlfriends…just remember the old saying, 'Just because there's a goalie, doesn't mean you can't score.'"

"Gibby, what are you talking-"

"Furthermore," Gibby pressed, speaking over Carly, "You have to understand something about us guys: Don't wait for us to just 'get it' on our own, because nine times out of ten, we won't unless you spell it out for us. And that goes for even the biggest geniuses out of the lot of us. We suck at subtlety for the most part, so if there's something you want from us, you've gotta say so, or else we'll miss it completely. I'm not saying that to say that we're complete idiots or anything, I'm saying that to say that we work best with open honesty, because us good guys will give you nothing less in return. Besides, we can't fix something if we don't know it's broken in the first place."

Carly was listening intently to what he was saying. She knew what (and who) he was talking about and she didn't see a point in trying to deny it. In the back of her mind she was shocked at the fact that she was actually taking relationship advice from Gibby, but who better to talk to about guy problems than a guy?

"Gibby, you make it all sound so simple," Carly said, securing her sunglasses closer to her face. "But there are so many factors-"

"Do you love him?"

Carly was stunned into silence. Gibby has always been blunt, but up until now the conversation has remained fairly neutral. She could at least pretend that they were talking about someone else, _anyone_ else. Now that she was confronted with having to vocalize her feelings to someone else for the first time, all she could do was stand in shocked silence. Luckily, Gibby held up his hand before she could stutter a seemingly safe reply.

"Nevermind. I'm sure I can figure it out. Besides, it's clear that the feeling is more than mutual."

"Gibby! He has a girlfriend!" Carly gasped.

"Oh, Carly," he sighed, giving her a pitying look. "You just don't get it, do you? Look at her picture one more time. _Really_ look at it. What he's doing is pretty damn obvious."

Before she could ask him to elaborate, Gibby gave a pointed look over her shoulder. When she turned around, she found Freddie exiting the restaurant and giving them a curious look. Gibby stepped around Carly towards Freddie.

"So, you're ready to hit the road, bro?" he asked, sounding as if nothing was amiss.

"Yeah, we better get a move on, but I'm really going to miss this place and you, Gib." He extended his closed fist so that Gibby could bump it with his own. "Thanks so much for showing us such a great time. Oh, before I forget, here's the keys to the apartment." He extracted the keys from his pocket and gave them to Gibby. "We really appreciate the hospitality, man."

"Hey, anytime. You know that."

The two men gave each other a big bear hug for a few seconds, then separated. Gibby turned to Carly and smiled at her. She smiled warmly at him and stepped towards him with her arms stretched upward. Gibby came in and wrapped his big arms around her, giving her a big brotherly hug.

"Love you, Gibster. Thanks for everything," she said softly in his ear.

"Love you, too, sis. Remember what I said. Don't give up on him just yet, alright?"

She nodded and stepped back. Gibby stepped back and addressed them both.

"Drive safely, text me the next time you guys stop, give Sam a huge hug for me, and feel free to pass my number along to any hot Floridian girls you happen to meet," he instructed the pair, ticking off each instruction on his fingers.

"We will," they both laughed in unison. Gibby gave them a final wave and headed to his own black Jeep. Carly entered the passenger side of the car and immediately reclined the seat back, strapping herself in with her seatbelt and not bothering to remove her shades. Freddie settled himself behind the wheel and exhaled as he ignited the engine.

"Ready for another long drive, champ?" Freddie asked, as he backed out of the parking spot.

"Ugh. Freddie, do you mind if I sleep for a little while? I promise to be an awesome friend as soon as I wake up."

Freddie chuckled. "Sure thing. I'll wake you up when I find a good resting spot."

"You're the best."

"I'm aware," he replied with a smirk. Carly laid back in her seat, not bothering to search for her PearPod, and fell asleep within minutes.

* * *

Carly was jolted awake hours later by the sound of Freddie's ringing phone. She blinked a couple times in an attempt to adjust her eyesight when she remembered that she still had her shades on. She removed the shades and glanced at Freddie, who was looking at the screen of his ringing phone. With a neutral face, he silenced the device and put it back in the cup holder.

"Who was that?" Carly asked, stretching her arms to the roof of the car.

Surprised, Freddie looked at Carly. "You're awake!" he said.

"I'm aware," she replied, mimicking him, good-naturedly. "Was that your mom calling?"

"Oh, no. Private number. I avoid those calls," Freddie answered, returning his gaze to the road. Carly looked at the clock on the dashboard, which informed her that it was 4:25 p.m. She had managed to get almost six hours of sleep and though her head still felt a little cloudy, she felt so much better than she had that morning. She adjusted her seat so that she was sitting a little more upright. She looked at Freddie, who looked a little worn out.

"Hey, we have to stop for gas soon, right?" Carly asked.

"Definitely. I'm actually looking for the next stop. Might pick up some coffee while I'm at it."

"Don't bother," Carly said firmly. "The next stop we make, we're switching seats. I'll drive, you get some rest for a change."

"Carly, this morning you could barely stand. Now you want to drive? Is that even safe?"

"I'm much better than I was this morning," Carly insisted. "Gibby's hangover cure helped a lot and I've slept for a good while. I'm fine. You're tired. We're switching and that's the end of it."

"Yes, ma'am," Freddie said, taken aback by Carly's assertiveness. He took the very next exit and stopped at the closest gas station. While he used the restroom, Carly filled up the tank and moved her stuff from the front seat to the back. Freddie returned just as she sat herself behind the wheel.

"Did you pay for the gas, too?"

"I sure did, Mr. Benson," Carly replied cheerfully, showing further evidence that she was returning back to her old self. "Now hop in so we can get a move on!"

Freddie smiled and took his place in the passenger seat. "You didn't have to-"

"Yeah, I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to," Carly interrupted, giving him a friendly smile before starting the engine. Both travelers secured their seatbelts, then Carly adjusted the GPS so that she could see it (as well as the seat, so she could reach the pedals) and pulled out of the station with great caution. She suddenly realized that she had not driven since the day they left Tacoma. She welcomed the change. For the first time since this trip started, she finally felt like she was in control. Freddie, on the other hand, looked like he was being introduced to a whole new world.

"You know, I've never been in the passenger seat of my own car," he marveled, gently touching the dashboard in front of him. "It's so weird."

Carly couldn't help but laugh at him. "You're such a dork."

"Seriously!" he exclaimed. "It's kind of nice, though." He reclined the seat back so that he could lay down a little further. "You know, I didn't realize how tired I was until you made me switch with you. Thank you for giving me the chance to rest a bit. You saved me, for sure."

"You're always saving me," Carly stated simply with a shrug, "You can afford to get saved every once in a while." She looked in Freddie's direction, who happened to be giving her the cutest smile she had ever seen; a smile that reflected gratitude, happiness, and a little exhaustion.

"Thanks," he said softly.

"Don't mention it. Now get some rest. I'll wake you if something interesting happens."

Without any more convincing, he adjusted himself in his seat and fell asleep. Carly turned on the radio and allowed soft contemporary music to fill the car. She glanced at the GPS, which showed her driving through somewhere in Missouri. She decided to drive until it was too dark, then she would stop for the night and they could drive the rest of the way to Florida. Carly picked up her phone at a red light and shot a quick text to Sam to let her know that they would be in Florida tomorrow night. Sam quickly replied with a "WHOO HOO!" just as the light turned green. Within minutes, she had them back on the interstate. She looked over again at Freddie, who was fast asleep. She was struck with a sudden sense of déjà vu as she drove down the long stretch of road ahead.

"_Wasn't this my dream_?" she pondered to herself. "_Driving for miles, wind in my hair, and someone to share the ride with?" _She looked again at her companion, deep in sleep. She decided that this, with Freddie at her side (even though he was currently unconscious) far surpassed any dream she could have had. Just then, she wondered if he had ever dreamed of the same thing.

* * *

**A/N: I hope everyone is enjoying the story thus far! The support (in all forms) has been truly amazing and I humbly thank you all!**

**Quick note: the hangover smoothie is complete fabricated. Be warned: Do not try that at home!**

**I hope everyone is having an amazing week and is ready for the weekend! I hope to have Chapter 12 done by Tuesday. *Fingers crossed***

**Love and appreciation all around! Please review, if you feel the urge!**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky  
**


	12. Chapter 12

After only a few hours of driving, Carly had grown very tired of being behind the wheel. She was steadily approaching the fourth hour of driving (which included a very brief bathroom stop) and she could not remember the last time she had driven for so long. The music they had purchased at the beginning of the trip was no longer holding her interest, her butt felt numb for some reason, and she really missed talking and laughing with Freddie. She greatly respected Freddie's willingness to drive for hours upon hours with virtually no companionship while she slumbered, without any complaints. She added it to the list of things that she had to thank him for. She figured that her Christmas present to him had to be outstanding this year; no gift cards, clearly.

Driving sans distraction also made it impossible to mentally escape Gibby's advice to her prior to leaving Omaha. He just didn't understand all of the complications and ramifications involved in harboring serious feelings for her best friends. Gibby seemed to have forgotten the many times she'd broken Freddie's heart in the past, how much she insisted that they can only be friends, or how close they've become since they left for college. Carly was certain that Freddie now viewed her as somewhat of a sister at this point. Why else would he continue to date Esther while there's such a clear window of opportunity before him to be with her?

Then she remembered what Gibby said about guys not knowing what was wanted of them unless they were told. What exactly did she want from Freddie, anyways?

"_Oh, you definitely know that answer to that_," she thought.

In a way, she did. She looked over at Freddie's sleeping form and thought about what she would have liked to have with him, which was everything. While she couldn't quite explain what "everything" meant, she knew that if she had the opportunity to _have_ everything, she wanted to have it with him. Maybe Gibby was right: maybe she should clue him in on what she wanted of him.

"_No_," she admonished internally. "_You, Carly Shay, are _not_ that girl. He has a girlfriend and you should respect their relationship, even if the girl is a man-snatching tart. I need to get out of this car, and fast."_

As if the universe understood her desperation, she heard the rumbling of nearby thunder overhead. It was too dark to tell whether or not there were rain clouds above, but she could see the brief flashes of illuminating sky in the distance. She could hear Freddie stirring next to her and assumed that he would continue to sleep through the noise, but she was proven wrong when he suddenly spoke.

"Hey, was that thunder?" he asked. Though it was simple question, she was still incredibly excited to hear his voice after four hours of virtually nothing.

"Uh, yeah, I think so," she answered. "I can't tell how close it is, though."

"Woah! It's almost nine! I didn't think I was out for that long!"

Carly hadn't looked at the clock in so long that the time came as a shock to her. They had been on the road for over eleven hours and she was beginning to wonder when they would eventually stop.

"Hey, Freddie? When do you think we should crash for the night?"

"Hmmm," he pondered. "I want us to go as far as we can tonight, just so that we don't have to drive so long tomorrow, but I want us to get off the road as soon as the weather gets too bad." He sat up and adjusted the GPS so that he could pinpoint where they were. His eyes suddenly grew wide.

"Uh, Carly, please tell me how were are already approaching Nashville? We shouldn't be driving through here for another hour! How fast are you going?"

Carly looked at the speedometer, which clocked their speed at 90 mph. She shrugged and smiled. She had always been told by Spencer that she had sort of a lead foot, but she's managed to avoid speeding tickets thus far (parking tickets were a different story).

"Didn't even notice, really. 'No harm, no foul,' right?"

"Just don't get us pulled over, arrested, or killed, if you can manage that."

"You got it," Carly promised. "So, how much more of this car can you take?"

"Honestly, not much," Freddie said, rubbing his eyes. "I'll look up a decent resting place on my phone."

He searched for about fifteen minutes before he spoke up again.

"Okay, so we can either stop now, or power through for another two hours until we reach Chattanooga. I found a decent hotel with suites on the edge of the city and it would take nine hours to get from there to Orlando. What do you think?"

Carly thought about the idea for a moment. Though the idea of stopping now was more than tempting, being able to get to Sam sooner than later sounded so much better.

"Give the hotel a call. I can get us there in an hour and a half."

"Alright, I'll get us some rooms. I repeat, please don't kill us."

"I'll try my best," Carly joked.

* * *

When the car pulled into the parking lot of the Desert Rose Suites Hotel in the promised hour and a half (which included a brief gas stop), Freddie marveled at the fact that Carly had managed to avoid getting pulled over. He never knew that Carly was such a speed demon behind the wheel and he was torn between finding it sexy and being terrified by it. If his mother ever found out about Carly's daredevil driving, she would have an absolute fit. Then again, if she found out that he had forgotten to floss that morning, she'd have a fit about that, too.

The hotel was not as nice as the one they had visited in Montana, but the check-in was painless and the staff was friendly. Their rooms were a little bigger, as well. Freddie booked adjoining rooms once again. He had planned to drop their stuff off in their rooms and then head out to a local eatery for dinner, but the thunder just above warned them of tumultuous weather to come and he did not want to get them caught in a possible rainstorm in an unfamiliar town. Luckily, the hotel had room service available, a concept that Freddie was becoming a big fan of.

As soon as he reached the room he hopped in the shower to refresh himself after a long day of traveling. The effects were immediate; he instantly felt rejuvenated and more alert. The nap had rested him to a point where he wondered how he was going to get any sleep that night. He imagined that Carly was in her room right now, getting ready for bed in order to prepare for an early day tomorrow. They had agreed to get back on the road by eight in the morning in order to reach Orlando by five in the afternoon.

"_If I let Carly drive again_," he thought, "_we'd probably get there before lunch!_"

Once he finished his shower, he brushed his teeth and slipped on a pair of green flannel pajamas and a green shirt. At that moment, a loud clap of thunder shook the windows, completely catching Freddie off-guard. He spun around, eyes wide open, and looked out the window. The sky flashed ominously while the rolling thunder continued to rumble overhead. While thunderstorms didn't normal scare him, Freddie couldn't help but feel a little discomforted by the shaking window panes, the blinking electricity, and the raindrops that pelted the window so sharply that it could be mistaken for hailstones.

"_If the weather is creeping me out this much_," he thought, "_then I can't imagine how scared Carly must be right now. I better go check on her._" He walked over to the adjoining door and knocked, making sure not to knock too loudly and further startle Carly.

"It's open," he heard from the other side of the door. Though her voice sounded calm, he was sure that she was terrified. He opened the door to find Carly in her Girly Cow pajamas, hair loose around her shoulders, sitting cross-legged on her bed as she clicked the TV remote with a seemingly bored expression.

"Hey, I just wanted to check on you, you know, with the storm and all," Freddie said consolingly.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just trying to find something to watch while I wait for the food to get here."

"Hey, you don't have to put on a brave face for me!" Freddie said reassuringly, stepping further into the room. "I know the lightning can be a little frightening."

Carly gave him a confused look as she slowly sat the remote on the side table. "Uhh, no 'brave face' here. I'm fine, I assure you."

"Carly, it's _okay_ if you're a little-"

Freddie was interrupted by a crash of thunder, causing him to jump slightly back. He looked at the shaking window with wide eyes, trying to slow down his breathing. He heard Carly gasp and turned to her. She had a hand over her mouth as the other hand pointed at Freddie.

"Oh, my God," she said incredulously, "you're afraid of the thunderstorm, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not," Freddie quickly denied, making sure to stand a little straighter.

"Uh, yeah, you are! Look at you! Practically ready to hide in the corner!" she teased, giggling.

"Hey, I come in here to protect you and THIS is the thanks I get?" Freddie cried indignantly. "Seriously, Carly, I'm not afr-"

More thunder effectively silenced Freddie and he stood still, trying his best not to look startled. Though she tried not to, Carly broke into a fit of laughter, leaning back and clutching her sides. Freddie rolled his eyes.

"Oh, ha ha ha!" Freddie said loudly over Carly's laughter. "Look, I'm here to be your knight in shining armor and protect you from harm, so shut up and scoot over, you jerk." He walked over to the bed, where Carly quickly made room for him to lay down over the covers.

"Well, I certainly appreciate this noble deed of yours, good sir!" she giggled. Freddie was unable to resist smiling at the sight of her amusement. He rolled over on his stomach and poked her side playfully.

"So what did you order, anyway?"

"A pizza with the works," Carly answered. "I was about to call you and let you know before you came in to, um, save me. Oh, before I forget, Gibby says hello and to call him while we're in Florida. Spencer sends his love and Sam told me to call you a nub and to tell you to not drive like a grandma tomorrow. I'm sure she meant that in the best way possible."

"I'm sure she did, too," Freddie laughed, imagining Sam saying those exact words. Though he dreaded the abuse to come, he was actually very excited to see her. Then he remembered something he meant to ask her earlier in the day.

"So, what were you and Gibby talking about in the diner parking lot while I was in the bathroom?"

"Oh!" Carly said, apparently surprised by Freddie's question. "Um, he was just giving me some dating advice, that's all."

"Dating advice? From Gibby?" Freddie asked while perching himself on he elbows, not able to believe that Carly would approach Gibby about such a topic.

"Yeah," Carly confirmed, shrugging her shoulders and looking down into her lap. "You know, just general stuff. No big deal."

The way Carly avoided eye contact lead Freddie to believe that she was holding back, but he didn't press the subject. He did, however, have another question on his mind.

"So, while we're on the subject, why exactly haven't you been dating? I can't remember the last time I've heard you talk about a guy or going on a date or anything."

Carly looked at Freddie for a moment, then sighed as she laid back on the bed. She had never talked about this stuff with anyone other than Sam and she was afraid that Freddie would not understand her, or worse, would understand her _too_ much.

"It's kind of complicated," she began. "At first it was because I thought I didn't have the time to date. But now I realize that I would be totally willing to _make_ time for the right person. I guess I'm just ready to finally be a part of a significant relationship instead of just casually dating. It was fun in high school, but now it's different, you know?"

Freddie nodded. "So, are you, like, waiting for love?"

Carly shrugged. "Not necessarily love, but I'm not interested in wasting any more time with guys who aren't looking for something more…substantial, which is kind of hard to find in a college setting. I just want to save my time for someone who…you know, gets me."

Freddie's breathing stopped for a brief moment at the words "get me." He remembered Carly's drunken admission the night before, about how Esther wasn't the right one for him and how she gets him so much more than Esther does. "_Could she possibly be waiting for me? Could I be that lucky of a bastard?_" he thought. He shook his head just slightly, dismissing the thought and trying to refocus his attention on Carly.

"Does that sound delusional at all, Freddie?" Carly asked as she turned her head in his direction with a hopeful expression.

"No," he answered, the word getting caught in his throat. He cleared his throat. "No, that doesn't sound delusional at all. That sounds very reasonable actually. You deserve true love and shouldn't settle for anything less."

"Love," she said with careful consideration, "it sounds like I'm setting the bar too high. Who would be crazy enough to walk into that willingly?"

"Hey, any guy would be perfectly willing to fight for the love of Carly Shay," he insisted, making unflinching eye contact. "Trust me."

A soft smile crept across Carly's face. "Thanks, Freddie. Hey, you've been in love before, right?"

"I've dabbled," Freddie confirmed with a smirk.

"What does it feel like?" she asked as turned on her side and propped her head up on her elbow, looking down at Freddie expectantly. Freddie faced her, matching her position. He thought for a second as he looked at the only girl he could ever truly say that he loved, the girl he still loved, if he could be perfectly honest with himself. He thought about how it felt to be so consumed with her and everything that involved her, and then the answer came to him.

"It feels like you're being buried alive," he stated.

"Freddie! That sounds awful!" Carly gasped, sounding horrified.

Freddie laughed. "Well, sometimes it does a feel awful, especially if you're in love with someone who may not love you back," he answered honestly. "When you're in love, you just feel snowballed with emotions: happy, terrified, confused, giddy, depressed, protective, embarrassed…sometimes all of them at once and you can feel just…buried. Of course, it's not all bad, like when you see that person's smile, or when you make them laugh or when you're responsible for cheering them up, those moments can make you feel like you're on top of the world. It's the moments when you don't see them, or you obsess over whether or not they feel the same way, or when they're so close and still out of reach, or not close at all…those are the moments that suck."

He stopped his rambling to look at Carly, who looked like she was completely enraptured by what he was saying. He continued.

"You know what, though? I wouldn't trade the feeling for anything in the world. Not for a second. Just knowing that I have the capability to feel something like that is worth it, you know? Just to feel like I'm actually alive is worth all of the confusion and awkwardness and heartache. And who knows? Maybe the feeling will be returned someday. Does any of this make any sense?"

Carly looked down at her hand, which was playing with the stitching on the comforter. "Yeah, it makes perfect sense, actually," she said in a barely audible tone. She spoke again as she continued to look downward. "So, are you in love with Esther?"

Freddie knew the answer to that instantly. "No. No, I can't say that I am."

Carly looked up at him with great surprise. "But you two have been together for seven months! You mean to tell me that you haven't at least thought about it?"

"It's not something you can just think about, Carls, you have to feel it. Right now, I just don't feel it yet."

He knew how bad that had to have sounded, considering that they had been dating for quite a while and Esther made it very clear that she had major feelings for him. What Carly didn't know was that he and Esther have never said "I love you" to each other, and that was mainly because he never initiated it and he didn't want to simply say something that he didn't mean. Sure, he liked her a great deal and she was definitely a good girlfriend to him, but after being in love with Carly for so long, he knew how serious being in love was and he didn't want to cheapen the idea by simply saying "I love you" without truly meaning it. He was just lucky that Esther hasn't pressed the issue yet, but he wasn't so sure that would last once he returned to Tacoma from this trip.

"Well," Carly said slowly, "these things take time, right? Nothing to be worried about."

"Yeah, sometimes they take time," Freddie agreed. "I just don't want to have to learn how to love somebody. It should come naturally."

With that thought, there was a knock on the door. Freddie had forgotten about the room service that Carly ordered, and by the surprised look on her face it looked like Carly had forgotten, too. They looked at each other and laughed nervously. Carly leapt from the bed and ran around to the other side, grabbing some single bills from the top of the television and went to the door. After a few seconds, she returned with a pizza, some Styrofoam plates and two bottles of ginger ale.

"Hungry?" she asked, lifting up the items for emphasis.

"Starving," Freddie answered, sitting up and grabbing the pizza from Carly. She grabbed two cups from the top of the mini fridge by the door while Freddie dished out a couple slices of pizza on each plate and handed Carly her dinner once she returned to the bed. They ate as they watched an old movie on the television, their previous conversation still lingering in both of their minds.

* * *

_BZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!_

Carly's vibrating alarm woke Freddie up in a flash. Instinctively, he swatted the phone to silence with the hand closest to the end table. For a second, he couldn't remember where he was. He lifted himself just enough to look around the room. Once he saw Carly sleeping next to him under the covers, he remembered that he was in her room. He figured that they must have fallen asleep shortly after they ate dinner. He noticed that he was laying above the covers while she was underneath them, her face turned in the other direction. Then he saw his other hand laying gently on top of hers, their hands almost intertwined as her slender fingers were slightly curled upward. The thought of their hands unknowingly finding each other while they slept brought a smile to Freddie's face.

Then the feeling of guilt fiercely attacked his insides, making him feel just a little queasy. He had a girlfriend in Tacoma, a girlfriend who he's been avoiding for days, while he slept in another girl's hotel room, holding her hand. Granted, he hadn't meant to fall asleep on her bed and he couldn't be held too responsible for an action that occurred while he was asleep, but he certainly shouldn't feel proud of it and it definitely shouldn't make him happy.

"_It doesn't matter that she's your best friend whom you've been in love with for almost a decade_," Freddie thought to himself. "_Point is: you have a girlfriend back home. This is just as bad as cheating, and you are NOT that guy, Benson_." He gently removed his hand from Carly's, careful not to wake her up. He glanced at Carly's phone and saw that it was 7:02 a.m. As he eased off the bed, he heard Carly stir. He turned to her and saw her roll, then slowly open her eyes. When she saw Freddie, she gave him a small smile.

"Morning, Freddie," she said groggily.

Freddie couldn't resist smiling back. Girlfriend or no, he found Carly so beautiful in that moment.

"Good morning yourself," he replied. "Your alarm went off. I'm going to get dressed. Just come in my room when you're ready to head out."

"Okay. Oh, Freddie? Thanks for, umm, protecting me. From that storm, I mean."

Freddie smirked. "Well, it was obvious you were terrified. It's the least I could do." Freddie ducked as a balled up pair of socks came sailing towards his head. He and Carly laughed as he disappeared into his room.

They were driving by 8:15, thankful that they had filled up the gas tank the night before. Freddie decided to drive, but he made sure to drive just a little faster than normal in order to make good time. He and Carly spent the time talking about things they would like to do while in Florida, listening to the radio, making fun of some of the billboards they passed, and arguing over where to stop for lunch. They stopped very quickly somewhere in Georgia to refuel the car and pick up lunch at a Quizno's. The rest of the trip went so quickly that Freddie was surprised to suddenly see a sign that said:

**"Welcome to Orlando:**

**The City Beautiful"**

Carly squealed with excitement. "We're here! We're finally here! I'm texting Sam!" She quickly grabbed her phone and wasted no time letting their friend know of their arrival. Freddie was quite excited himself. Aside from getting to see Sam for the first time in eight months, he had never been on the East Coast before. They had just arrived and he already felt like he was on an adventure. He took a look at the GPS.

"We're only twelve minutes away from her house. We made pretty decent time, too! It's on 4:35!"

"Hmm, I guess I'm not the only speedy driver in this vehicle, am I?" Carly replied with a slick smile.

"Oh, _no_ no no. I'm not even in the same league as you, Speed Racer!" Freddie denied. Carly playfully punched him in the arm. Before long they were turning onto Appleton Court, the street Sam lived on. The road was very scenic, occupied mainly by modest-sized houses and gorgeous, colorful trees.

"Okay, look for house number 624," Carly instructed.

Freddie smiled wide. "Heh. I don't think we have to look very hard." He pointed up ahead.

Bouncing up and down excitedly by a mailbox, just a few house down on the left, was a very excited, small blonde woman. Sam Puckett.

* * *

**A/N: I couldn't wait until Tuesday.**

**As always, thank you all so much for keeping up with the story! I hope you continue to read along. I'm really excited to see how all of this unfolds (even as the writer, I catch myself by surprise! Some things just write itself). **

**Review, if you can! I hope you are all having an excellent day!**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	13. Chapter 13

Carly didn't even allow the car to come to a complete stop before jumping out of it to meet Sam in the middle of the road. The two girls leapt into each other's arms and squealed so loudly that one of Sam's neighbors curiously poked her head out of her door to check out the commotion.

"SAM! Oh, my God, I missed you so much!" Carly shouted as she clutched her best friend in a tight hug.

"I missed you like crazy, cupcake!" Sam replied, clinging to Carly just as tightly. They continued to hug in the middle of the road, speaking and squealing simultaneously. Any passerby would have thought that the two friends had not seen each other in years. In reality, they had not seen each other since Christmas.

Sam disentangled herself from Carly and turned to Freddie, who was leaning against the parked car and watching the spectacle in the middle of the road with a smirk. Aside from her toned arms and calves, Sam looked exactly the same as she did when they were teens. Between her big curly blonde hair, her red tank top under a plaid unbuttoned shirt, the frayed knee-length jean shorts and red Converse sneakers, she looked frozen in time. Carly had never seen her happier.

"Oh, Fredlumps," Sam sighed, slowly making her way towards him. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm even excited to see you." She gave him a smirk that matched his.

Freddie pushed himself off the car. "I'm quite happy to see you, too, you crazy psychopath." He held his arms out for a hug. Sam laughed and eagerly wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he wrapped his around her waist, giving her a hug so big that he, literally, lifted her off the ground. They separated and Sam lead Freddie and Carly into her home, a light blue house with a large front porch, complete with a white porch swing.

"Welcome to _mi casa_," Sam said animatedly, gesturing grandly towards the house. "I would apologize for any mess that you encounter while here, but you guys already know how I roll." She opened the door and entered the house, stepping to the side to allow for her friends to enter. Carly tailed Freddie and was pleasantly surprised. The first thing she registered was the size. While the outside of the house appeared modest, the inside was very big, thanks in large part to the vaulted ceiling and hardwood floors. The front entrance lead immediately into the living room, which Carly thought could easily make the front cover of Better Homes magazine: ivory furniture arranged meticulously around the room, a large fireplace against the far wall, a flat screen television mounted in the center of the main wall, and various works of art on display throughout the room made it very hard to believe that Sam actually lived here.

"My roommate decorated this room," Sam informed her friends, which answered some of the questions in Carly's head. "Her father is a pediatrician. Bought her the house as a 21st birthday gift. The only thing I like about this room is the TV."

Freddie chuckled and the three of them continued into another room, which appeared to be a dining room. The cherry wood dining table was polished to perfection and decorated with a simple vase full of wildflowers. A modern lighting fixture hung over the table, which was surrounded by three windows. The next room was the kitchen, which was a fairly normal-sized kitchen in Carly's eyes. She did notice, however, the black granite countertops, which gave the room a sleek look. Carly spotted the first mess in the house: the sink piled high with dirty dishes. Freddie pointed at the sink and turned to Sam.

"Your turn to wash?" he guessed.

"How'd you know?" Sam asked. Freddie rolled his eyes while Carly laughed.

"Moving on with the tour," Sam said, apparently not phased. She led them to the adjacent hallway. "There are actually four bedrooms. Three of them belong to me and my roommates. The fourth is a guest room, so you two can fight over who gets it, or share it. That's cool, too. The couch in the living room is a pull-out, so that's an option." She opened the door at the far end of the walkway, which revealed a fairly large room with a queen-size bed, a long closet, a small standing flat screen TV on a wooden TV stand.

"Carls, you know you can bunk with me in my room, buuuut…" Sam trailed off. Carly cut off any further explanation by holding up her hand.

"I'm sure I can imagine the state your room's in now, Sam. The guest room's fine."

The trio suddenly heard the sound of the front door opening, followed by two loud, festive voices.

"Hello, hello!"

"SAMMY P! Where you at?"

"IN THE GUEST ROOM!" Sam hollered back, a little too close to Carly's ear. After a few moments, two very beautiful young women appeared at the doorway of the room. The shorter of the two had pale skin, bright auburn hair trimmed down to a short, pixie cut, piercing hazel eyes, and lips that were painted dramatically with dark red lipstick. Her black-and-white striped off the shoulder top contrasted with her bright pink leggings, but Carly thought the odd pairing (as well as the girl's diamond-studded nose ring) looked very cool. The other girl had dark brown skin, shoulder-length straight black hair with severe bangs just above her eyebrows, almond-shaped honey brown eyes and an effortlessly seductive smile. Carly recognized her yellow sundress from a department store that she recently visited, but couldn't remember which one. By the looks of both girls, they were fellow dancers. Sam spoke up.

"Carly, Freddie, these are my roommates. That's Taryn," she introduced, pointed to the girl with the auburn hair, "and that's Dallas. She's the owner of this lovely house."

Carly stuck her hand out for Taryn to shake, which the girl accepted warmly. "It's so nice to meet you both!" Carly said.

"Same here! Sam talks about you guys all the time," Taryn said with a smile. Carly then shook hands with Dallas, who returned her shake enthusiastically.

"Very nice to meet you two," Dallas said with a smile. "Feel free to make yourselves at home! Did Sam already give you a tour?"

"Yeah, she just did," Freddie answered. "You have a really nice home!"

"Thanks! Dad picked it out. I would have probably chosen a place in Downtown. I'm pretty sure this was his way of making sure I stayed out of trouble," Dallas explained with a laugh.

"And then you ended up with Sam as a roommate. Oh, the irony," Freddie said wryly as he teasingly glared at Sam. The entire room, including Sam herself, broke into laughter.

"Trust me, we have stories," Taryn replied, "but we'll save those for later. Plus, Sam's an awesome roommate."

"Yeah, an awesome roommate who _needs_ to wash those funky dishes," Dallas stressed to Sam. "I'm pretty sure one of the pots growled at me when I passed by."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm on it, I promise," Sam sighed. "But when I finish washing up, can we puh-lease talk about where we're going for dinner tonight? And I know we have to dance in a couple days, but no salads. For the love of God, no more salads."

* * *

Bailey's Roadhouse reminded Carly a lot of the Ale house in Omaha, only much louder and with a more eclectic mix of music blaring from the jukebox. The iCarly trio sat at large high top table along with Taryn and Dallas, exchanging stories about school, iCarly, the dance program, and the dance showcase that would be taking place that Saturday.

"It's a part of 'A Glimpse of the Arts,'" Taryn explained as she sat a pitcher of beer in the middle of the table. "For a week, each department showcases their best work, kind of like a sneak peek for the upcoming year. There are art shows, student-directed plays, concerts…it's actually pretty cool, if you're just hanging out for a week and need some entertainment."

"Unless you're a performer," Dallas cut in. "Then it's a fucking nightmare."

"True chizz," Sam agreed while munching on her steak fries. "I can't wait until this week is over. The showcase, the President's Soiree…it all makes me want to puke up blood."

"Wait, what's the President's Soiree?" Carly asked, stirring Splenda into her iced tea. With the raging hangover from the night before fresh in her mind, she couldn't even look in the same direction as the beer pitcher.

"It's this big, fancy ass party that's thrown by the Dance department for the school's boosters. It's black tie and it's held at the old president's mansion. The president of the school comes for about five minutes, says some lame speech about the importance of the arts in the community, then leaves."

"Then us dancers are paraded around like prize-winning cattle and we're expected to schmooze with these old rich people in order to convince them to give money to the school," Dallas continued to explain. "Very fake, but they do write the checks."

"Yeah, the whole thing is kind of demeaning," Taryn pondered aloud, "but the food is so good!"

"Oh, yeah, it's amazing! And there's an open bar."

"And Mama does love her food and liquor," Sam added, rubbing her stomach and smiling like a Cheshire cat. The group chuckled knowingly.

"So when is this 'fancy ass party?'" Freddie asked, finishing the last of his steak.

"Friday night. Hey, you guys should come as our guests!" Dallas suggested brightly.

"Yeah, why didn't I think of that? We can each bring a guest. Carly can be my date and Fredwardo can go with Dallas!" Sam offered excitedly.

"Well, thanks," Carly said hesitantly, "but didn't you say it was black tie? Freddie and I didn't bring formal clothes or anything."

"We look about the same size, Carly," Dallas said. "You can borrow one of my dresses. Actually, I have one that would look amazing on you!"

"And I've dragged my boyfriend to so many of these things, Freddie, that he has to have something you can wear," Taryn added. "You guys should really come. Then, we can go grab a real drink afterwards."

Carly looked over to Freddie, who shrugged in approval and smiled.

"Sounds like a plan! I've never been to a 'Soiree" before. Kind of exciting! Plus, I'll have the coolest date in house," Carly grinned, nudging Sam.

" 'Most violent date' is more like it," Freddie teased.

Sam emitted a mock laugh after taking a large gulp of her beer. "Speaking of dates who must be criminally insane, I hear you have a girlfriend! Who's the lucky psych ward patient?"

Carly suddenly felt the desire to drink, but resisted. The last person she wanted to talk about right now, or ever, was Esther. Taryn and Dallas turned to Freddie with intrigued looks. Freddie rolled his eyes. "Her name is Esther and, unlike you, she's a perfectly sane, law-abiding girl, thank you very much." He poured himself a glass of beer.

"Oh, well then she must be a beast then," Sam shrugged, though she could barely hide the smirk. Carly could tell that Sam missed her and Freddie's mutual ribbing. Freddie groaned and pulled out his phone. After a few taps of his screen he handed the device to the skeptic.

"There. See? Obviously not a beast."

Sam took a look at the picture. She donned a blank expression as she examined the picture in silence. Suddenly, she erupted in laughter. The rest of the table looked at her in bewilderment. She wiped away the emerging tears and set the phone down, unable to reign in her laughter.

"Sam!" Carly reprimanded, swatting her arm.

"What's so funny?" Freddie asked, wearing the expression of one who was both confused and insulted.

Sam panted in between breaths as her laughter finally died down. Then she fixed a pitying look on Freddie. "Oh, nub, you never disappoint me," she managed to say before launching a fresh round of laughter. Taryn picked up the phone and looked at the picture.

"Oh, c'mon, Sam, the girl is very cute!" Taryn exclaimed before handing the phone back to Sam before hopping out of her seat. "Dallas and I are going to skim the jukebox selection. Freddie, you wanna add a male perspective? Leave it to us and we'll have you guys listening Justin Timberlake all night."

"Sure," Freddie agreed. He gave a final glare to Sam, then got out of his seat and made his way to the jukebox with her roommates. Carly turned to the giddy blonde, who was hunched over as she tried again to regain her composure.

"Okay, what's the deal?" Carly asked, completely perplexed. "Esther's cute, Sam."

Sam straightened up and gave Carly an incredulous look. "Wha- of course, you think she's cute! She looks just like you!"

Carly didn't know what Sam was talking about and was beginning to think that Sam had much more beer than she let on.

"Sam, are you drunk?"

Sam ceased laughing and looked at her as if she were the dimmest person in the world.

"Yes, cupcake, I'm wasted off the one beer I had all night," Sam answered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Seriously, Carls, do you not see it?"

Carly continued to stare at her quizzically. Sam let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Wow, Gibby was right. You are completely clueless."

"When did he say that?" she shrieked, offended.

"He called me when you left Omaha, but that's not important. The important thing is that Freddie has managed to find himself another Triple C to delude himself with-"

"Wait, Triple C?" Carly interrupted.

"Yeah, C.C.C. Carly Carbon Copy," Sam explained as she held up Freddie's phone to Carly's face, as if to compare the two. "Well, this one is definitely cuter than the last Triple C, big nose aside-"

"Sam, this is insane. She doesn't look like me and neither has anyone Freddie's ever dated."

Sam let out a strangled growl, then set the phone on the table. "Carly, open your eyes!" she pleaded, grabbing her friend by the shoulders and giving her a a rough shake before Carly forcefully wrenched out of her grip.

"This Esther chick, Jasmine, Tess, that one girl who was a pet groomer, uhhhh, Blanche-"

"Blair," Carly corrected, though she was mentally recapping all of the girls Freddie had dated at one time or another.

"Blair, Blanche, Bitch, whatever, point is: Freddie's been going after these Carly look-a-likes since college and you've been too blind to notice. He wants you, but since he can't have you, he's trying to find love with these lesser versions of you. The sad thing is that I don't think he even realizes he's doing it. I'd feel sorry for him if he wasn't such a dork." Sam took another swig of her beer. Carly picked up the phone and carefully looked at the picture. Though she could admit that they did share the same brunette locks and high cheekbones, she couldn't see any more similarities. Still, she had to consider what Sam was saying. Clearly, there must be some sort of trend if both Sam and Gibby felt a need to discuss it. She put the phone down, then slumped forward with her arms crossed over the table. She looked down and spoke in a low tone.

"He could have me if he wanted me," Carly muttered.

Sam's eyes grew twice their size. "Wait, what?" she sputtered. Before Carly could explain, Freddie's phone rang loudly with the theme song from an old X-Men cartoon series. Both girls looked at the phone. Sam shook her head.

"A nerd, through and through," she sighed. Carly rolled her eyes and flipped over Freddie's phone out of curiosity. Esther's picture resurfaced on the phone with her name scrolling across the caller ID.

"Crap, it's her. Should we answer it?"

"Yeah, pick it up. I have some questions," Sam replied eagerly.

"On second though, we should let it go to voicemail," Carly said decidedly. After a few moments the phone was silent. Sam looked disappointed while Carly exhaled in relief.

"We should have totally answered it," Sam whined. "That could have been a very fun call!"

"No, Sam, no need to scare her away."

"Well, apparently there is a reason to scare her away," Sam countered, leaning forward a little. "So what was this about Freddie having the chance to have you if he wanted you? Have you …_fallen_ for Fredwina?"

"Sam, it's hard to explain-"

Carly was cut off by her own phone, which was now ringing. Sam groaned in frustration at the second interruption of their potentially juicy conversation. Carly picked up the phone and saw an unrecognizable number.

"Who is it?" Sam asked.

"Dunno, but it's a 206 area code," Carly shrugged. Unable to resist, she picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, Carly, it's Esther!" said the somewhat cheery voice on the other side of the line. Carly was stunned almost to silence, but found her voice before arousing suspicion.

"Oh, hey, Esther!" she greeted with fake enthusiasm, making sure to emphasize the name so that Sam could hear it. Sam's jaw dropped.

"I know it's weird that I'm calling you, but I just wanted to know if you've heard from Freddie lately. I haven't been able to reach him in days and I'm really worried."

Carly furrowed her eyebrows, wondering if she had misheard her. "Uhhh, have I heard from Freddie lately? What do you mean?"

"Well, I figured that if I hadn't head from him, then he would have at least spoken to you," Esther explained, sounding a little anxious. "Well, have you?"

"Weeell," Carly began slowly, "I haven't heard from him since he stepped away to go look at the jukebox," Carly joked. There was a beat of silence over the phone

"Wait, I don't understand," Esther replied, "you're with him now? Is he back in Tacoma?"

Carly was beginning to thing Esther was a lot dumber than she ever knew her to be. Did she not understand the concept of a road trip?

"No, Esther, we're in Florida," Carly explained patiently. "He stepped away from his phone for just a second, but I can tell him to call-"

"Wait," Esther interrupted, alarm apparent in her voice, "you went to Florida, too? Did you meet him there or did you, like, go with him?"

Carly looked at Sam and gave her a look that let her know that the conversation she was having just took a peculiar turn. Sam pointed excitedly at the phone and mouthed "speakerphone," to which Carly shook her head in response.

"Um, Esther, we left together. Last week, remember?" Carly reminded her delicately. Maybe Esther was in a bad state with Freddie gone, and she didn't want to be responsible for sending her over the edge…though it sounded to Carly like she close enough to the edge already.

There was a long silence.

"Umm, Esther?" she called, thinking that she may have hung up. Then the girl on the other side of the line exploded.

"OH, THAT LYING SACK OF SH-"

Then the line officially went dead. Stunned, Carly slowly set her phone on the table and turned to Sam, who must have heard Esther's outburst.

"Woah," she said, astonished. "What was that all about?"

"I don't know, Sam, but Freddie probably does. Where is he?"

Sam pointed to Carly's right. "Look, he's coming back."

Carly looked to her right to find Freddie making his way over to the table. He approached the table with a smile.

"The girls are still fighting over which Adam Lambert song to choose," Freddie said, chuckling. "I left before it got ugly."

Sam simply rose her eyebrows and Carly stood up, confusion and alarm apparent on her face.

"Freddie," she started calmly, "Esther just called me."

Freddie suddenly looked panicked. "Woah, Esther _called_ you?"

"Yeah, and she sounded a mess. Even more confusing, she seemed to be surprised that both you and I were in Florida. What's going on?"

Freddie remained silent while he thought briefly. Suddenly, his expression changed from panicked to dawning comprehension as he sighed and ran a tense hand through his brown hair.

"Hey, Benson, did you forget to tell your girlfriend that you were taking a little trip?" Sam asked with great amusement.

He turned to Sam with a defeated look. "No, Sam, I told her that I was taking a road trip down here."

He then turned to Carly, fixing her with apologetic eyes. Without removing his gaze, he continued to answer Sam's question.

"I just may have neglected to tell her that I was taking Carly with me."

* * *

**A/N: Soooooo...whatcha think? :-)**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	14. Chapter 14

"WHAT?" Carly cried, drawing the attention of some of the patrons around her. Sam, wearing an expression that was a mixture of shock and admiration, began to clap slowly.

"Wow! Well done, Mr. Benson!" she congratulated, earning glares from both Carly and Freddie. Unfazed, she took another sip from her beer, keeping her eyes on the pair. Carly returned her attention and anger to Freddie.

"What do you mean you 'neglected' to tell her that I was coming along? Why would you not mention that to your girlfriend, Freddie?"

"Carly, I-"

"Because is none of her damn business, that's why!" Sam interjected indignantly. "If my two best friends want to come and visit me, then they should without having to get permission from anybody! If anyone has a problem with that, they can come to 624 Appleton Court and see me about it!" Sam cracked her knuckles in an intimidating fashion.

"That's not the point, Sam!" Carly yelled, feeling like Freddie's omission should not be encouraged. She suddenly felt more eyes on her. She hated the attention that she was attracting, but what she hated more was Freddie standing there, helplessly looking for something to say. At that moment, she could no longer be in that restaurant. As she felt the warm blush steadily creeping up her neck to her cheek, she hurriedly grabbed her wallet, pulled out a twenty dollar bill from the fold and slapped it on the table to pay for her dinner. She spotted the keys to the Freddie's Corolla next to his abandoned plate and quickly picked them up and rushed out of the establishment. She ignored the calls of her name and the questioning utterances of Taryn and Dallas as she burst into the night air, heading towards the car. She needed to drive, to get away from Freddie, who, she decided, could get a ride with the girls. She was so focused on her escape that she hadn't noticed Freddie catching up with her, so she was very startled when he grabbed her by her upper arm and spun her around to face him.

"Carly, please let me explain! It's not at all how it seems!" he begged, looking absolutely desperate.

"Oh, please, Freddie, PLEASE explain to me how this should seem," Carly started, unable to keep her rage at bay, "because how this seems to ME is that my attendance on this trip was kept from your girlfriend, even though I was under the impression that I was the reason this trip was even happening in the first place! How this seems to ME is that I was swept under the rug like some dirty little secret -"

"Carly that's not it AT ALL," Freddie tried to assure her, only raising her voice so that she was sure to here him.

"Then what the hell is it, Freddie? You know, I don't like feeling like someone's shameful secret or like a mistress! Especially considering that this trip wasn't even my goddamn idea in the first place!"

Freddie nervously ran his hands through his hair then took a step closer to Carly.

"Look," he said calmly, "I know this looks bad, but I promise you, on everything, I did not intentionally keep you a secret from Esther to begin with. I didn't! I hadn't even realized that she didn't know you were with me until I spoke with her in Montana."

"Freddie, how long ago were we in Montana?" Carly hollered, not accepting Freddie's explanation. "You've had days since then to say, 'Hey, babe, just wanted you to know that I brought Carly along. No big deal.' Not that hard, Fredward!"

"It's a little more difficult than that, Carly," Freddie countered, appearing to get a little annoyed himself.

"Oh, really?" Carly urged, her hands on her hips and her tone still acidic. "Indulge me. What's so hard about you being truthful with your girlfriend about our friendship?"

"Because I didn't feel like getting sucked into another long conversation about you!" Freddie revealed, his voice raised in frustration towards this sudden turn of events. "Carly, you have no idea how exhausting it is having to defend our friendship every time I hang out with you, or talk to you on the phone, or spend the teeniest bit of time with you!"

Carly starred back at him, eyes wide and mouth agape. She swallowed hard, then spoke to him in an eerily calm voice.

"Well, Freddie, I am just… so sorry if our friendship is such a frickin' burden on you-"

"No, Carly, that's not what I meant at all-"

"I am SO SORRY that our DECADE LONG friendship is standing in the way of you having an easier relationship with your _sorority cling-on_! Even though I warned you that this would eventually happen, that you wouldn't be able to have both, especially after this little stunt-"

"Carly, that's NOT TRUE," Freddie said, raising his voice again just as she was beginning to raise hers.

"It is and you know it! That's why you kept it from her! You KNEW this would be a problem. If not, then you just would have told her! Look," she stepped a little closer to Freddie. "Whatever is going on with your relationship, whether you want to be with her or not, you need to figure it out. But let me make myself very clear: DON'T use me as a tool to push her away, if that's what you're trying to do. Grow a pair and be honest with her. If you don't want to be with her, let her go. If you want to stay with her, then fine. Do that and leave me out of if. And if you do, she's going to ask you to make a choice, and don't bother denying it. So let me know if that's what you want. Let me know so that I can just bow out gracefully!"

Freddie looked alarmed. "What do you mean, 'bow out?'"

Carly was so riled that she could feel the familiar sting of oncoming tears in her eyes. "I mean that I'm not going to be the reason that you can't maintain a relationship! I don't want to be discussed or defended anymore by you with your girlfriend, Esther or whoever else may come along later! I'm not going to be the reason you can't have true happiness with someone else!"

"I DON'T WANT HAPPINESS WITH SOMEONE ELSE! I ALREADY HAVE HAPPINESS WITH YOU!"

Freddie's eruption stunned both Carly and Freddie to silence. Carly opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, searching for a response that wouldn't come. Freddie took advantage of the silence and continued.

"Carly, I'm happier when we're just goofing off or when we're driving down some long, boring road in complete silence than I've ever been with Esther or anyone else. It's always been that way with you. Please believe me when I say that I never meant to keep anything from Esther, nor did I have some ulterior motive dragging you on this trip. I would never do that! It's just…the more time I spent with you, the more confused I became about mine and Esther's relationship. When I realized I hadn't told her about taking you along, I started to question whether or not I should, whether it was her business in the first place, whether I even wanted to be with someone that I suddenly felt like I couldn't be one hundred percent honest with…I haven't even spoken with her since Montana because I honestly didn't know what to say to her."

Carly could feel the tears rapidly sliding down her cheeks in the cool night air as her resolve further deteriorated. "Freddie, at the end of the day, something is keeping you with her. She is still your girlfriend and it is her business who you're with because as long as you're maintaining this relationship with her, you're _making_ it her business. So go call your girlfriend and stop being a coward."

With that, she turned around and ran to the car before he could see her break down. She popped open the door and threw herself in the driver seat. Looking out the window, she spotted Freddie turning around with a defeated slump and make his way back into the restaurant. Even though she was still livid, the sight broke her heart just a little more. Deep down, she knew he was telling the truth; she was sure that he never meant to hurt anyone. Still, the fact that he would choose to remain with Esther even though he acknowledged that he was happiest with her hurt her even more.

She was so shaken that she dropped the keys twice as she tried to get them into the ignition. Her quivering hands make it almost impossible to grab the right key and in utter frustration, she began pounding on the wheel and crying a little harder. At this point, she couldn't decided whether she was angrier at Freddie for being with someone else, despite knowing that he could be happier with her, or at herself for essentially driving him into the arms of other women since they were teens.

"Th-this is all m-my fault," she sputtered to herself, sobbing with abandon. She knew that she was in no state to drive, especially in a town that she was unfamiliar with, so she leaned the driver's seat back so that she could recoup. As she did, she heard something hollow hit the floor of the car. Out of curiosity, she reached her hand behind the seat and felt around the floor until she felt something round and seemingly cardboard. Once her fingers where able to grasp it, she pulled the object off the floor and into her sight. The light from the parking lot lamp lit up her hand and revealed a cardboard cylinder. At first she thought it was something of Freddie's, then she remembered that it was the cylinder that Spencer had given her before they left Seattle. She had somehow managed to completely forget about it. She remembered what Spencer had said when he gave it to her: _"You may want to open it in private." _Deciding that this was as private as it was going to get, she broke the tape at the top of the canister and popped the top off.

She reached inside and pulled out a rolled up heavy sheet of parchment paper. She clicked the overhead light on so that she could get a better look. Before she could unroll the sheet all the way, a handwritten note fluttered into her lap. Spencer's handwriting was unmistakable, narrow and slanted. She straightened out the note so that she could read it.

_Little Sister,_

_Even strangers in the street can recognize it. Stop running from Truth. Trust me, Truth's got much faster legs than you do._

_Love you big time,_

_Big Brother_

_P.S. - What kind of a name is "Esther" anyways?_

She read the note again, then numbly unrolled the parchment paper to reveal the caricature drawing her and Freddie had done at the street fair in Seattle. The hearts, the loving glances, and the word "Love" in big vibrant red letters each tugged on her heartstrings so painfully that she could feel a fresh wave of sobs escaping her throat.

"_I love him_," Carly thought to herself. "_I love him and there's nothing I can do about it_."

Desperate to move, she pulled up her seat and opened the car door. Grabbing the keys and with the picture and note still rolled up in her hand, she exited the car and began to walk. Luckily, Sam's house was just a few blocks away and all she wanted to do was get into her pajamas, crawl into bed, and just make sense of everything. In the back of her mind she thought about how Spencer would kill her if he knew she was walking around a strange town by herself at night, but she didn't care at the moment. She couldn't stay there any longer and if she didn't do something, she would go insane. She understood too well what Freddie meant in that Tennessee hotel when he said that love felt awful sometimes. She can't remember a time when she felt worse.

"_If someone had told me just two days ago that I would realize that I was in love with my best friend, I would have laughed in their face_," Carly thought as she headed in the direction of Sam's neighborhood. She couldn't think of worse timing then now, when Freddie was with someone else. Now she realized how he must have felt when she would see other boys in high school. With that thought, she grew much angrier with herself. This, she guessed, had to be some sort of Karma that she rightfully earned. How was she going to fix all of this?

* * *

She didn't know how long she walked, but she reached Appleton Court before she even realized it. Grateful, she rushed down the street to the house. When she reached house number 624, she ran up to the porch and immediately lifted the tall potted plant, where she knew Sam would keep a spare key. Not to be disappointed, there sat a dull bronze key, which she picked up and slid into the lock with ease, once the door was opened, she placed the key back under the plant and padded into the dark house. Once she flipped on the nearest light, she realized just how blurry her vision was, thanks to the tears. The crying had also lead to a major headache, which alone made her want to cry more. She slowly walked to the guest room and entered, closing the door behind her and flopping onto the bed. She wished she was in her apartment so that she could sob freely. Better yet, she was beginning to wish she hadn't come on the trip in the first place. She loved seeing her friends and family, but this thing with Freddie was torturing her, and to think that she had to drive all the way back with him made her feel ill.

She felt a jolt coming from her rear pocket. Slowly and with much effort, she extracted her hand from under her chin and removed her phone from her back pocket. Looking at the screen, she learned that she missed several calls and texts from Sam and Freddie. She felt awful for worrying them, but she wasn't ready to speak to Freddie. She sent a quick text to Sam to let her know that she had made it safely to the house and just needed a moment to herself to think. Putting the phone down, she unrolled the drawing once again and gazed at it longingly.

"This could have been us," she said to nobody in particular. She continued to stare at the drawing, lost in dreams of finally being able to hold Freddie, to kiss him and tell him everything that she's felt probably way before she even realized what she was feeling. She was beginning to hate love. She wouldn't even wish this misery on Nevel, and she loathed that guy.

Twenty minutes had passed before she heard a light knock on her door. Jolted out of her reverie, she sat up, rolling up the picture and note out of view and wiping her eyes, still burning from her many tears.

"I'm really sorry for disappearing like that Sam," Carly shouted to the door.

"Uh, it's not Sam," a soft male voice replied. Carly's heart raced. She wasn't ready to face Freddie yet. In fact, she was beginning to consider taking a plane out to Seattle the next day. What could she possibly say to him right now? She remained silently shocked, unable to answer him.

"Please let me talk to you, Carls," he pleaded, sounding absolutely defeated. His voice sounded hoarse, like he had been through hell and back. Slowly, she stood up and opened the door. The look of relief on his face, like he needed to see her to know that she was okay, made Carly's heart leap a little. Still, she did not open the door all the way.

"Freddie," she began, but he lifted a finger close to her lips in order to silence her.

"I'm a complete moron," Freddie said with the utmost sincerity, "and I should have never put you in the position that I put you in. You were right; I was being a coward about so many things. Seeing you so upset killed me, okay? And knowing that I was the cause of that…Carly, please believe me when I say that never in my life would I want to hurt you. Ever."

Carly leaned her head against that door frame and looked at the floor, unable to maintain eye contact. Hearing him say all of this made her feel great and terrible at the same time. Didn't he know that he was hurting her just by being with Esther?

She opened the door a little further before walking towards the bed. Freddie took it as permission to enter the room and closed the door behind him. He gingerly took a seat on the bed next to Carly, who was looking her lap, the rolled up picture clutched to her thighs. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Freddie suddenly spoke up.

"She asked me if I was still in love with you," he stated plainly. Carly lifted her head and found him staring straight ahead, he eyes sad and devoid of any fight they had previously. She didn't need any clarification as to who he was talking about.

"What did you say?" she asked apprehensively.

He gave a short chuckled and looked down at his lap. "Nothing. Just like I did when Tess asked, when Blair asked, Jasmine, Heather…voicing it would mean that I would have to face it, and I'm just not strong enough. Besides, by the time they ask, they already know." He finally looked up and faced her, his eyes begging for her to understand.

"But _I_ don't know, Freddie. Shouldn't I be the one to know?" She couldn't muster the strength to get her voice above a whisper, mainly because she was so amazed that they were even having this discussion.

"You're right," Freddie nodded, "but I didn't think that you wanted me. How was I supposed to tell you?"

"Freddie," she sighed, completely sympathizing with his point of view, but still sad that he didn't admit that he still held feelings for her. "I didn't even realize until just recently what my feelings towards you meant. And even if I had recognized sooner, when was I supposed to tell you? You have a girlfriend-"

"No, I don't."

The revelation stunned Carly for what had to be the millionth time that night. She knew that the inevitable conversation between him and Esther was not going to go well, but she figured that Esther's competitive nature would have convinced her to hold on to him a little tighter.

"So she dumped you?" she asked with a small voice.

To Carly's surprise, Freddie gave her a small smile. "Only after she gave me an ultimatum: it was either you or her. And like I told you before, that's an incredibly easy choice to make."

Carly continued to stare into Freddie's brown eyes, which looked just as sincere as they did during the talk they had in her hotel room in Chattanooga. A slow smile crept on her face.

"Was that my fault?" she asked, eyebrows raised.

"Completely," he answered, the smile on his face growing wider. Carly emitted a sound that was a mixture of a sob and a giggle, covering her face in embarrassment. She could hear Freddie chuckling next to her. When she looked up, he was leaning forward to pick up the rolled up paper that had fallen to the ground. Paralyzed with anxiety, Carly didn't stop him from unrolling the paper and looking at the picture. His eyes widened as he immediately recognized the drawing. He spotted the accompanying note, reading Spencer's words and letting out a slow breath as he gazed at the picture again. She imagined that it had the same effect it had on her when she saw it again for the first time. She subconsciously held her breath as she waited for his reaction. When he finally looked up at her, she could have sworn that his eyes looked a little wetter than they did before.

"Spencer's pretty damn wise," he said, a little shakily. Putting the picture and note off to the side, he slowly reached for Carly's hand and held it in both of his. Brushing her delicate knuckles with he thumb, he looked up at her, his eyes questioning.

"So…are you going to stop running?" he asked. She reveled in the feeling of her hand in his large ones, as well as the look he was giving her. After a moment of hesitation, she decided what she needed to do, for her and her alone.

"I'm going to try," she answered slowly, "and if I ever feel the need to run again, I'll make sure to take you with me. Just like I promised."

Without waiting a second longer, Freddie pressed his lips to Carly's, letting go of ten years of restraint. His hands flew immediately to her face, one hand softly cupping her jaw while the other got lost in her raven locks. Carly responded in kind, her hands finding his neck and chest as her lips pressed harder against Freddie's. Carly immediately became addicted to the dichotomy of Freddie's kiss, his impossibly soft lips contrasting with his rough need. His hands left her face and hair and found a new place around her waist. He wrapped his arms around her and firmly pulled her into his lap, bringing them much closer and giving them better access to properly devour each other. Carly whimpered into his mouth while her arms wrapped around his neck. She gently sucked on his lower lip, to which he responded by flicking his tongue on her upper lip. Melded lips lead to melded tongues, and at that both of their minds went completely blank as both became entirely consumed by the moment.

Carly's heart was racing and stopping intermittently and she lost track of time, location and, at one point, her own name, which she attributed to the lack of oxygen. Reluctantly, she pulled away in order to regain some of her breath and touched her forehead to Freddie's, panting uncontrollably.

"Freddie," she gasped, rubbing his stubbled cheek. She knew she should say something reasonable, like 'This is too soon' or 'You just broke up with your girlfriend, let's give you some time,' but she was torn between logic and _this feeling_. Freddie clung to her a little tighter.

"This isn't perfect, I know," Freddie said, understanding how she felt without her needing to voice anything. "But it doesn't need to be. This is us, and that's all that matters."

Not needing anymore convincing, her lips dove for his once again. She lost herself in his kiss, breathed in his scent, got drunk off his taste, and let her heart lead the way. The only thought she could muster was that this kissed could only be described as one thing: giving in.

And giving in felt indescribable.

* * *

**A/N: Surprise! In honor of tonight's new episode (which only happens like, what, once every couple months now?), I thought I would work extra hard to premiere two new chapters before the episode aired. **

**This moment between Freddie and Carly is what inspired me to write this story way before I even knew what direction I would take it in, if that makes any sense. I've had this scene written in my head for weeks and I'm so excited to finally share it! I hope you all liked it!**

**Thanks so much for the support thus far! It's more inspiring than you can imagine! I hope you all have an excellent weekend!**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**

**P.S. - Just wanted to give a special Belated Birthday shout out to Eboni J. Donahue! I hope your day was incredible!**


	15. Chapter 15

Thursday morning arrived with a stream of concentrated sunlight peaking through the Venetian blinds, bathing the room with low natural light. Carly was coaxed out of her slumber by the unfamiliar sound of the lawn sprinklers spraying water against the window. As her body slowly awoke, her mind struggled to remember whether or not the events of last night were a dream or reality. Somehow, she found it very hard to believe that Freddie broke up with Esther, then came into her room and confessed still existing feelings for her.

"_But it felt so real_," she thought sullenly. "_And I can still taste him on my lips_."

Then her mind registered her back pressed against something warm and solid, as well something large anchoring her waist to the plush mattress. She glanced downward and noticed that the thing slung over her waist was Freddie's arm. It dawned on her that the events of last night were not the product of a dream, but something that stemmed from years of pent-up emotions, sexual tension, and abandonment of any self-control. At the slightest adjustment of her body, Carly felt Freddie's hand lay flatten on her stomach and pull her closer against him. Her eyes closed at the feeling of Freddie enveloping her and leaving butterfly kisses at the soft skin next to the strap of her tank top. She rotated while still in his embrace so that she could see Freddie for the first time that day. His hair was adorably ruffled and in different directions, his eyes were open, but still heavy with exhaustion (or contentment, Carly didn't know which), and a small smile appeared on his face when he saw her. Her heart fluttering, she returned the glimmer of a smile with one of her own.

"Morning, Freddie" she said, her voice rough from sleep. In that moment she wished that her voice had sounded a little sweeter and not so raspy. The widening grin on Freddie's face let her know that he didn't mind.

"Morning, Carly," he replied, his hand finding her lower back and tracing circles on the skin underneath her clothing. "Sleep well?"

She nodded. "Probably the best sleep I've had in a long time. How about you?"

"Well, I woke up randomly in the middle of the night and I was worried that it had all been a dream, you know?"

"Yeah, I'm definitely familiar with that feeling," Carly answered jokingly.

"But once I saw you lying there I was able to go back to bed. Before doing so, though, I decided to be really cliché and watch you sleep for a moment."

The thought made Carly cringe with embarrassment. "Oh, geez," she moaned, "was I snoring or drooling?"

"A little bit of both," Freddie admitted, not bothering to suppress a low chuckle. Carly buried her face in his dark gray shirt in order to hide her blush. Freddie laughed a little harder before placing a kiss at the top of her head.

"God, I must've looked like a nightmare," Carly lamented, her words muffled by his shirt.

"You looked insanely gorgeous," Freddie said in a low voice. Carly looked up to find a Freddie giving her a shy smile. When she returned the smile with one of her own, he looked away at the arm wrapped around her slender waist. "You also looked -and felt- amazing in my arms. Is that a corny thing to say?"

Carly answered him with a soft, chaste kiss on his lips. She smiled as she pulled away. "Can I really kiss you anytime I want now?" she asked, still unbelieving of what transpired between them the night before.

"I encourage that, yes," Freddie said playfully, nodding eagerly. She poked his sides and he retaliated by lightly pinching the flesh at the waistband of her pajamas, just above her rear. She yelped as the pinched tickled her slightly, then she covered her mouth in fear that she may have been too loud. Freddie laughed.

"You don't want to wake up the whole house," he warned in jest.

"No, I do not. What time is it, anyway?"

Just then the door to the guest room burst open to reveal a sleep disheveled Sam, who was covering her eyes with one hand.

"It's 9:45, lovebirds," Sam informed them, eyes still covered. "So why don't you two crazy kids get your clothes on and we can all sit around the table and have an awkward, informative breakfast together."

"Saaaaaaaam," Freddie groaned, rubbing his eyes.

"Sam, Freddie and I are both fully clothed, you perv," Carly told her, moving the covers to the side to prove that she was telling the truth. Sam peaked through parted fingers, then gave an exaggerated sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness," she panted, holding a hand over her heart. "I thought I was going to have to hose you both down with cold water!"

"Ha, ha, very funny," Freddie said, unamused.

"Well, hurry up, you two," Sam urged with a clap of her hands. "I want to show you around town a little bit before my rehearsal at 4:30."

With that, she walked away from the door frame towards the kitchen. Carly looked at Freddie and they both rolled their eyes.

"She still doesn't know how to knock," Freddie observed.

"I've noticed," Carly replied with a giggle. She sat up and swung her feet around to the floor. "I'm going to head to the kitchen and get some breakfast. You coming?"

"No, I'm going to get in the shower before you ladies take it over, but I'll grab a quick bowl of cereal or something before we go anywhere."

He leaned forward and gave her another quick kiss on the lips before jumping out of the bed and rushing to the bathroom. Carly looked in the direction in which Freddie disappeared, biting her lip. While she was ecstatic that they were finally on the same page, something was eating away at her elation. She pushed herself off the bed and went into the kitchen, where Sam was cutting bagels in half. When she heard Carly come in behind her, she turned around and gave her a sly grin.

"So you and the nerd finally put all that sexual tension to good use, huh?" Sam speculated, setting the knife down so that she could turn her full attention to her best friend. She folded her arms over her chest and leaned back against the counter. "Just to be clear, I'm not touching those sheets, so…"

"Sam, nothing went beyond making out!" Carly cried in a hushed tone so that Freddie wouldn't hear them. It was true, they did not have sex that night, though the mutual restraint was tough on both of them. Both Carly and Freddie had to pull away multiple times to keep from going too far. After all, Carly felt like they still had a lot of things to figure out and neither of them prepared to encounter this situation on the road.

Sam raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Really? I guess that's why I didn't hear anything last night. I just assumed that you guys were being quiet."

"Sam, why would you assume that we would rush to jumping each other's bones?" Carly asked, going to the fridge and pulling out a jug of orange juice.

"Are you kidding me?" Sam shrieked. "You and Freddie have ten years of sexual and emotional build-up under your belts. Nobody would blame you for bumping uglies on Night One, even if the guy was a complete nub."

Carly placed the jug of juice on the counter and gave Sam a firm look. "Okay, first of all, it has not been ten years of sexual build-up. That would imply that the sexual tension has been there since we were ten years old."

Both girls paused to consider that point for a moment, then simultaneously shuddered in disgust.

"And secondly," Carly continued, shaking off the previous thought, "things may have gotten a little carried away last night, but there's still a lot of things that Freddie and I have to discuss. I mean, Freddie was with someone else not even twelve hours ago. I can't help but feel apprehensive about that."

Sam rolled her eyes as she pulled multiple glasses from a nearby shelf. "Carls, he was with Esther because he thought he couldn't be with you. Same goes for any other girls he's dated. Trust me, you are not the rebound in this scenario. If anything, they were."

Carly felt a little comforted to hear this from an outside perspective, but she still felt a little hesitant getting into a relationship with Freddie right away. Whether he loved her or not, he was still in a relationship with Esther for quite some time before getting with her. Furthermore, the fact that he came running to her right after he had broken up with her could have been a reaction to loneliness, abandonment, rejection, and any other feeling that comes with a break-up. She didn't want to invest in something that may have been a mistake.

When she voiced all of these concerns to Sam, she replied with another roll of her eyes and a thump to her forehead, which Carly found pretty painful.

"Carly, stop making excuses for you not to be happy," Sam commanded. "That boy is crazy about you! Trust me, I was there when he broke up with that wench. He wasn't fazed or hurt by it at all. The first thing he did was look for you. He doesn't care about her or anyone else other than you. You shouldn't even consider Esther as a girlfriend, just an experiment in getting over you that failed miserably."

Despite Sam's enthusiasm, Carly still remained undecided. Sam groaned in frustration.

"Okay, if you don't believe me, than talk to him," she conceded begrudgingly. "Now. Because the last thing I want to witness is that stupid "will they or won't they" crap between you two. Just get it out in the open and figure out where to go from there."

"Sam, maybe I'll talk to him a little la-"

"No, NOW. If you want breakfast, then so help me God, you will go in there and talk to him!"

Carly could tell that she was serious, and the last thing she wanted to do was upset someone who currently had easy access to sharp objects. She held up her hands in surrender.

"Fine! Fine!" Carly retreated back to the room, which was empty. She could hear the shower running in the neighboring bathroom, so she busied herself by going through her luggage and picking a pair of skinny jeans and a green tunic to wear for the day. Her head was swimming with the wealth of advice that she had received from all of her loved ones regarding Freddie. Nevertheless, she wouldn't know for sure how to proceed with Freddie until she talked to him.

Freddie returned minutes later, wearing a pair of dark Wranglers and an orange and white plaid button up shirt over a long sleeved white crew-neck tee. His hair was still wet from the shower and he had trimmed the stubble on his chin and cheeks rather than shave it, leaving just enough facial hair to look rugged, yet still looking well put-together. Carly was momentarily distracted by how handsome she found him in that moment. Freddie noticed her staring and smiled coyly.

"You're staring, Ms. Shay," he pointed out to her.

Embarrassed, she quickly turned back to her luggage, randomly searching for anything to avoid making eye contact with him. She heard him move behind her and felt him wrap his arms her waist.

"Hey, hey, I was just teasing. We don't have to be embarrassed by that kind of stuff anymore, right?" he asked softly. Carly stepped forward and extracted herself from his hold before turning around and facing him, noting the overwhelming concern on his face.

"Freddie, we really should talk," she exhaled. The look on his face shifted from concern to panic.

"Carly, please don't start this conversation off with the words 'last night was a mistake,' because you can't honestly tell me that you didn't feel the same thing that I felt," he said bluntly, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Carly wrapped her arms around herself, completely unprepared for Freddie's directness.

"Freddie, I don't know if I'd go as far as to say that kissing you was a mistake, but I'm a little worried that we moved too fast. I mean, you had only broken up with Esther hours before. Maybe you were a lot more vulnerable than you thought or something."

Freddie's expression relaxed considerably. "Carls, sweetie, is that all you're worried about?"

"Uhhh, I think that's a pretty good reason to be concerned, yes," she answered a little shortly.

Freddie gave her a small smile, then reached over to grab her hand and gently tugged her closer to home. He scooted to the very edge of the bed and parted his legs so that she could stand in between them while he grabbed her hips.

"Carly, it would be a huge understatement to say that I've never felt for anyone the way I feel about you," he said with absolute sincerity as his thumb grazed the exposed skin on her hip. "If I had even known that there was a glimmer of a chance for us to be together, I would have waited for as long as it took to be with you. Esther would have never happened, let alone any other girl I've managed to waste time with in the past."

Carly stood completely breathless, waiting for him to continue. He complied.

"I get your hesitation, but trust me when I say that the break-up with Esther is a welcomed change, not a mournful one. Kissing you wasn't out of vulnerability; it was a culmination of everything I've wanted to do since the moment I met you. I've always been crazy about you."

Freddie's words rendered Carly weak at the knees. She gripped Freddie's shoulders to prevent herself from falling. Freddie pulled her down to his lap, where she cautiously sat. Once she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, he pulled her snugly against him and kissed her cheek, which made her smile.

"I feel the same way about you, even if it took me a little longer to realize it," Carly confessed quietly. "I could be over-thinking all of this. I just want…us," she paused, relishing the concept for a moment, " to progress naturally. I don't want to rush anything and risk screwing all this up, just for the sake of calling you my boyfriend."

Freddie stared into her eyes for a moment, then slowly smiled. "We don't have to have it all figured out right now, okay? We can be the same best friends we were yesterday. Except now," he paused to lean up and give her a slow, achingly soft kiss on her unsuspecting lips, "…I'm sorry, what was I saying?"

Carly tipped her head back and laughed heartily. Freddie buried his face in the crook of her neck and chuckled. Carly could feel the confusion and tension she felt regarding her and Freddie slowly disappearing. He was right, they didn't have to have everything solidified right now. In this moment, all she cared about was that she was free to explore new depths in her and Freddie's relationship and, for now, that's all that mattered.

After her laughter died down, she placed a quick kiss to Freddie's forehead, causing him to look up. She stood up slowly.

"I'm going to hop in the shower, then I'm going to see if Sam will be kind enough to let me have breakfast."

Freddie snorted. "That's if she hasn't eaten it all!"

With another quick peck on the lips, Carly dashed away to the bathroom. She couldn't wait to explore the city with Freddie close by her side.

* * *

**A/N: While you may be tired of me saying thank you, I can't help but voice just how much I appreciate all of the support you guys have provided! You're all so wonderful.**

**Just to answer the question I've been getting a lot lately: I'm not done with this story just yet. There are at least five more chapters remaining, and that doesn't include a possible epilogue. I'm glad to see that there are people still interested in seeing this story progress!**

**Please continue to review! I love hearing what you all think!**

**Hope you all have an amazing week/weekend!**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	16. Chapter 16

Orlando was the exact opposite of Omaha. Where Omaha had a quiet, mellow quality to it, everything about Orlando literally screamed: loud billboards, bright neon lights, blaring car horns, and the blazing, bawling sun.

Carly loved it.

Admittedly, there were parts of Orlando that pandered to tourists (at one point, Carly and Freddie lost count of all the tacky Disney souvenir shops), but overall, the city was a Mecca of energy, fun, and, from Carly's point of view, affordable shopping. At her request, Sam took her and Freddie to Premium Outlet Mall, a large outdoor shopping center with major brand name stores that sold items at sale and clearance prices. Carly's gears immediately shifted into "Retail Therapy" mode and she made a beeline for the nearest shoe boutique. Sam followed, in hopes of finding a new pair of sneakers. Desperate to surround himself with the latest technological gadgets this mall had to offer, he paid a visit to an electronics store and allowed Carly and Sam to have some solid girl bonding time, which he assumed was much needed at this point. "I wonder if they're going to talk about me the entire time I'm gone," he wondered aloud.

* * *

"Ugh! What if I get a massive wedgie while I'm onstage and my focus is totally thrown off because I can't pick it out right away?"

"Sam, I'm sure you can do some squatting dancer move and dislodge it. Okay, why are we even discussing this? You're not going to get a wedgie while dancing!"

It was already 2:25 and the girls had finally decided to retire for a little while before returning to the house for lunch. With their purchases hanging from their wrists, they picked up their smoothies and fruit bowls off of the 'Juice It!' countertop and searched for a seat in the crowded food court.

"Okay, but what if I fall? I mean, that's a total possibility and there's no hiding that," Sam pondered nervously, pointing at an empty table close to the entrance.

"Sam, this may be your first showcase solo, but this isn't your first time dancing in front of a crowd and this is definitely not your first time entertaining a large audience. You'll do fine!" Carly patiently assured her friend. When they reached the table, they eagerly set their smoothies down and freed themselves of their shopping bags before sitting down.

Sam exhaled. "I know, I'm being stupid," she sighed, leaning back in her seat and rubbing her eyes. "It's just that all eyes are going to be on me as the virgin performer. Dallas featured last year and Taryn is practically a veteran. I just don't want to be the one that screws the pooch on this."

Seeing Sam this nervous and vulnerable was very rare to Carly and she truly felt for her. She also knew that Sam had the ability to do really amazing things when she allowed her determination to guide her over her laziness. She reached over and patted Sam's hand.

"Don't worry, girlie, you're not gonna…screw the pooch or anything else, for that matter. You're going to be great, trust me," she assured with a smirk.

Sam smiled. "Thanks, cupcake." She picked up a grape from her fruit bowl and popped it into her mouth. "Speaking of screwing dogs," she continued while chewing, "how did your talk with Fredducini go?" Sam winked to emphasize her point.

"For the last time, Sam, we didn't have sex," she denied with heavy exasperation. "But nevertheless, I'm glad you forced me to talk to him. He made me feel better about a lot of the things I was worried about, especially the whole…ex thing." Suddenly she found it harder to say Esther's name, out of a mixture of annoyance that Freddie was with her at all and guilt for sort of taking Freddie away from her.

"Boyfriend?" Sam asked simply, knowing that Carly would understand the question.

"Not quite," she answered, taking a sip of her Berry Banan-Za smoothie. "We're taking things slow and letting it unfold naturally."

Sam quirked an eyebrow and gave her a half smirk. "Ten years isn't slow enough?" she asked.

"We can't allow the fact that we've been friends forever to determine whether or not we would work as a couple."

"Well, don't you love him and all that good chizz?"

Carly sat quietly for a second. She knew in her head that she did, of course, but she hadn't voiced it yet, to herself nor, naturally, to anyone else. This was her best friend, though, and she needed to talk to someone.

"Yeah," she admitted with a small smile. "I really do, Sam. I just don't want to scare him off, you know?"

Sam tilted her head slightly and gave the brunette a sympathizing look. "You're not going to scare Freddie off, Carls. I'd bet a truckload of Fat Cakes that he's probably afraid of scaring you away more than you are of him. He's the last person in the world you should feel like holding back from."

Carly was pleasantly surprised, yet slightly confused, by Sam's support. "You know, I'd never have guessed you'd be supportive of the idea of Freddie and I being together, especially since you weren't too keen on it when we were in high school."

"Well, that was when I was around you guys all the time," Sam explained. "Now that I'm on the other side of the country and don't have to actually witness it, I'm totally for it. It's cool, as long as Mama doesn't see it!"

Even Carly had to giggle at Sam's logic. It was nice to see that some things haven't changed. She regarded her friend for a second.

"So, Sam," she began, playing with her smoothie's straw, "have you ever been…y'know…in love?"

Sam looked blankly at her for a second. Carly thought that Sam would dissolve into laughter in any second at the silliness of the question, but then she saw her expression change from nondescript to one that was a blend of reminiscence and sadness.

"I don't know if I'd call it love, but…" Sam trailed off. She let out a small sigh before continuing. "His name was Owen; Owen Blakely. He went to the nearby community college, but he was on campus so often with some of the music majors that I just figured he was another student. He was kind of average height with long brown hair, a gorgeous smile, killer green eyes and tattoos that covered one of his arms entirely. Total skater appeal."

"Sounds like a Puckett Pick," Carly smiled, referring to the name they gave the list of guys that Sam found attractive.

"Toooootally was, Carls," Sam said with a chuckle. Then she resumed her story. "He ended up playing drums for one of our rehearsals. It was my freshman year and most of us newbies were automatically cast as chorus members in some of the school's productions. Everyone else in my year was so nervous, but I was mainly bored out of my mind. One day I looked a little too bored, I guess, and the choreographer took notice. He tried to embarrass me by making me come to the front and perform one of the soloist's sequences by myself. Luckily, I had been paying attention and I was able to do it pretty easily without looking like an idiot. At the end of the rehearsal, Owen came up to me and spoke for the first time. He said, 'That was kind of badass.' That was it! Five words. From there, we just clicked.

"We casually hung out, but we never officially became a couple. We talked a lot and found out that we had a ridiculous amount of things in common. We grew closer by the day. There were nights when we'd talk on the phone for hours. Once, we talked for five hours about everything and nothing in particular. I'd go see him perform in some of the local bars and he'd come to some of my performances at school, even when I didn't have any major parts. One night, when he was walking me to my dorm after a recital, he stopped us midway so that he could kiss me. Just like that," she explained with a short chuckle and a snap of her fingers. "It was…insane. I had never felt anything like that before.

"Then, out of nowhere, he said that he was moving to Las Vegas with a couple of his friends. I was completely heartbroken. I had definitely fallen for him, there was no question about that. When I told him, he said that he had fallen for me, too. I thought that we should be together, he thought the timing was bad since he was leaving. Nothing ever came out of it."

Carly was baffled. Sam had never told her any of this before now.

"We still talked for some time after he moved. He visited Florida my last year and spent time with me. We had some pretty hot moments while he was here and we talked for hours, just like old times. I brought up the subject of us again and he fed me some bullshit about how the distance between us would eventually 'ruin us,'" she muttered, quoting the air and rolling her eyes. "He claimed that he didn't want to hold me back and that his life was taking him in all different directions and that he didn't want to string me along. As a consolation prize, he promised that if he ever came back to Florida or if I moved out West, then we could be together. Fat chance of any of that ever happening."

"But that's such crap!" Carly cried, getting fired up by Sam's story. "I mean, if you love someone, distance shouldn't even matter!"

"But that's just it, Carly, he never said that he loved me," Sam explained, the pain of the memory still evident in her eyes. "I'm sure that he liked me a lot, but…"

Sam looked off into another direction for a moment. Carly wondered if she was trying to hold back tears, but before she could check, Sam faced her again with a firm expression, her eyes hardened. "Look, Freddie loves you. He's here and he wants to be with you. Don't doubt it, just do it. Trust me, it sucks when the chance is ripped away from you and you have no control over it."

Carly looked down at her fruit bowl. She wished she that she could say something comforting to Sam, but before she could dwell on it, Sam cleared her throat and perked up.

"Okay, enough of that lame talk," she said, changing the subject. "What are we doing for this iCarly special on Sunday?"

Carly had somehow completely forgot about the webcast they were supposed to tape this weekend. "Oh, my God, Sam! I totally forgot! Well, we have Gibby's portion taped. I figured we could do a couple classics. You still have the old costumes, right?"

"In storage. We can go through them sometime tomorrow before the soiree, if you want."

"Sounds good!"

The girls were finishing up their smoothies just as Freddie rushed to their table with a Sharper Image bag.

"You guys, look what I found for less than a hundred bucks!" he exclaimed excitedly while pulling out a box from the bag. He showed them the picture, his eyes bright with exhilaration and his smile stretched across his face. The girls stared at the box, but they had no clue what it was. The object in the picture looked like it could be a digital camera, but there didn't appear to be a lens and it came with some sort of stand. They looked up at Freddie with apparent confusion.

He looked back at them as if they should have immediately recognized what it was.

"It's a pocket projector!" he said, waving the box in their faces. "This little guy has two gigabytes of memory and can play TV shows, videos, even movies on a four foot space! It projects a clear 640x480 high resolution image and the best part is that it's portable, so I can give a presentation or show a brief video at any time!"

The girls, not sharing in his excitement, continued to stare at him questioningly. Freddie was utterly perplexed.

"Oh, c'mon! This is cool!"

"Freddie," Carly broached carefully, "how often do you plan to give spontaneous presentations that would require you to have a convenient projection system?"

"More importantly, who on God's green Earth would actually stick around to listen to anything you have to say?" Sam quipped.

Offended by their shared ignorance, Freddie stuffed the box back in the bag. "No respect, just…no respect!" he muttered as he made his way to the smoothie stand. As soon as he was out of earshot, Carly and Sam dissolved into a fit of laughter.

* * *

The rest of the day went by in a blur. After lunch at the house, Sam left for her solo rehearsal while Freddie and Carly stayed behind and hung out with Taryn and Dallas. Dallas, at one point, took Carly to her room and gave her a couple of dresses to try on for the following night's black tie event. After deciding on a very cute cocktail length number (which she just to happened to have the perfect shoes for, thanks to her and Sam's shopping excursion) she watched TV with Freddie and Taryn until Sam returned from her rehearsal. The three friends immediately launched into a brainstorming session for Sunday's webcast, which Freddie made a point to tweet about from the iCarly account. Once they came up with a solid half-hour block of material, both Sam and Taryn retired to their rooms while Freddie and Carly changed into their pajamas, popped a bag of popcorn and stayed in the living room to watch a movie.

A quarter of the way through the movie, Carly noticed Freddie staring at her from the corner of her eye. When she looked over in his direction, he had he head propped up on his elbow, which was on top of the arm rest of the couch. Carly narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Why are you staring at me, Benson?" Carly prompted. "Do I still have a bit of facial scrub on my cheek?"

"No, I was just thinking about how this road trip really looks good on you," he explained casually. "I haven't seen you this relaxed in a long time. You're smiling more, eating healthier, and you haven't even cracked open a book once since we left Tacoma. There's even a sort of glow about you these days. I'm extremely happy for you."

Carly realized that he was right. She had forgotten that she'd even brought those school books with her. Looking back, she realized how silly she was for worrying so much about getting her reading done, only to ignore it later on. She smiled to herself.

"Well, I guess I have you to thank for that. Or maybe I should say 'blame for that,' if I end up failing my classes next summer session because of it."

"You're not going to fail," Freddie said with a light chuckle.

"We shall see. But seriously, thank you, Freddie. I was losing my mind in Tacoma and, as usual, you saved me. I really don't know what I'd do without you."

Freddie gave her a thoughtful smile, then crawled over to her side of the couch and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. Carly's heart melted. They hadn't kissed all day, even though she could think of nothing else. Freddie had respected her wish to take their…relationship, or whatever this was…slowly by not crowding her or being overly affectionate in public. Now that they were alone, neither of them could resist sharing little caresses and soft kisses.

When he pulled away, he leaned back over to his side, dragging Carly with him so that she could lie back against his body. "Well, if I have anything to say about it, you won't ever have to know what it's like to be without me."

Carly smiled at the thought as she positioned herself between Freddie's legs, leaning back so that her head rested just under his chin. As his arms came to rest around her waist, Carly set the bowl of popcorn on the neighboring coffee table so that she could cuddle more comfortably against Freddie's frame, resting her hands on top of his and interlocking their fingers. She felt Freddie place a gentle kiss at the crown of her head, which he's done many times before, but this time felt immensely different.

"I like this," she thought aloud, her voice airy with content.

"The movie?"

"No, the movie is atrocious. Not even sure why Tyler Perry even tries anymore," she replied, her voice remaining dream-like. "I mean _this_, how we are now. I've never felt this peaceful." Her eyes began to close as she snuggled deeper into Freddie's hold.

"I'm glad that I have such a calming affect on you," Freddie said, giving her a little squeeze. She giggled, then craned her neck upward so that she could see his face. His eyes were heavy and he had a lazy smirk on his face. He leaned down to give her another kiss, this time a little firmer than the last. She returned the kiss just as resolutely, parting her lips just slightly so that she could graze his bottom lip with the tip of her tongue. Freddie moaned his approval and removed a hand from Carly's waist so that he could cradle her face and deepen the kiss. Carly was acutely aware of her racing heart and the wave of heat that was washing over her body as Freddie nibbled her bottom lip and brushed his tongue against her own.

"_How could a simple kiss be so damn hot?_" she thought, unable to tear herself away. She hoped that none of the occupants of the house decided to choose this moment to go into the kitchen, because she was certain that her and Freddie were putting on quite the show. Though she was thoroughly enjoying herself, her neck began to hurt from the awkward position and she was forced to pull away, but not before she peppered his lips and jaw line with a few parting kisses.

Freddie sighed and leaned his head back as he wrapped his arms around Carly steadfastly.

"Woman, you're going to be the death of me one day. I just know it," Freddie hypothesized.

"I certainly hope not! You won't be as much fun then," Carly joked. They laughed and returned to the movie, which they found pointless since they had missed so much of the storyline. Freddie decided to speak up again.

"So , do you plan on bringing this new, Zen Carly with you back to Tacoma?"

"I hope so," Carly pondered. "I don't know, I feel like I should do something crazy to unwind a little. Like, get a tattoo - ooh! Or cut my hair!"

Freddie's eyes flew open and he reached for a strand of her long hair. "Now, when you say 'cut' you mean, like, trim, right?"

Carly looked up at him. "Are you trying to say that I wouldn't look good with short hair?"

"No!" he denied quickly. "I mean, I love your hair as is, but you'd still look gorgeous to me even if you were bald. You know that."

She leaned her head back and smiled. "_What could I have possibly done to deserve the attention of a guy like this?_" she thought.

"You spoil me with your charm, Mr. Benson," Carly said, flirtatiously.

"Only because I know it works on you, Miss Shay," Freddie replied, cheekily.

They kissed for the third time that night, both youths seemingly distracting themselves from saying everything they truly felt out of fear of possibly chasing their counterpart off. Carly knew that she'd have to completely open up to him at some point, but everything was still too new. She tremembered the conversation she had with Sam earlier that day and the advice that she offered.

"_Don't' doubt it, just do it…It sucks when the chance is ripped away from you and you have no control over it."_

Sam lost her chance at love. Carly gained hers, and all she was doing was making excuses for why she couldn't go after it full throttle. She just needed to suck it up and go for it. "_Make Sam proud_," she thought, pushing herself to say what she's been scared to say for a long time. She broke away from the kiss and looked into Freddie's chocolate brown eyes.

"Freddie, I have something that I need to tell you."

* * *

**A/N: First off, I love you all. With your continued reviews and Favorite and Alert adds, you all really know how to make a girl feel special. This is why I write. :o)**

**Secondly, a few fun facts: 1.) Premium Outlet Mall is a real outdoor shopping mall in Orlando and it is FANTASTIC. 2.)The pocket projector that Freddie is excited about is on the Sharper Image website and it does look kind of cool. Granted, I'm sure that technology would have advanced much further by 2014 (around the time that this story takes place) and would make an item like this obsolete...but I'm no psychic. 3.)Certain parts of Orlando ARE overloaded with tacky Disney souvenir and t-shirt shop! If you ever visit, try to get an accurate count of the number of shops there are in the area. If you manage to lkeep count, I'll mail you a lollipop.**

**I hope you all have an amazing weekend! PLEASE continue to review! Again, you all are amazing.**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: This would be a great time to remind you that I don't own iCarly and that this story is rated T for language and themes.**

* * *

Freddie looked down at the girl in his arms with curiosity. She looked a little anxious, but determined to tell him something important. He had no clue why she looked hesitant at all; despite the wonderful changes in their dynamic, they were still best friends and she could tell him anything.

"What is it, sweetie?" he urged, lightly stroking her jaw line. She closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath, which Freddie couldn't tell if it was due to his touch or because of what she had to say. She looked up and met his eyes with her own.

"Freddie, I just wanted you to kn-"

_CRAAAAAASH!_

Carly screamed and both her and Freddie jumped at the sound of the shattering window near the dining area. As soon as Freddie moved Carly behind him protectively, he saw a fist smash through another window pane just below the previously broken one. Carly shouted again and clutched Freddie fiercely. Within seconds, all three bedroom doors opened and Sam, Taryn, and Dallas all came out in various sleepwear with what Freddie assumed were weapons. Sam was in her plaid pajama shorts and black tank top and was already out the door with her trusted wooden bat, making her way to the back of the house to, presumably, chase the culprit down. Dallas, who was wearing a pink silk nightgown and a yellow scarf wrapped around her hair, had a butcher knife poised over her head. Taryn, in an old Superman shirt and matching boy shorts, wielded a Wii remote control, wearing an expression of abject fear. Dallas ran to the broken window, stopping just at that puddle of shards, and looked out for any sign of the intruder.

"SAAAAM!" she called. "SAM, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, GET BACK IN THE HOUSE!"

"Cool your jets! I'm already back!" Sam shouted, entering the front door. With all of the excitement, Freddie failed to realize that an alarm was sounding in the house until Sam made her way to the system to silence it. Seconds later, the house phone rang. Taryn answered.

"Hello?" she answered shakily. "Yes, someone just tried to break into our house!" She walked off with the phone to continue the conversation. Dallas turned to Freddie and Carly.

"Are you two okay?" she asked, trying to calm the panic in her voice.

"Y-yeah, we're alright," Freddie answered. "We didn't see who the guy was, all I saw was a fist punch through the window before he ran off."

"Well, the fudge wad got away," Sam growled. "If I ever find out who it was, Bertha and I are going to town." She slapped her palm against the wooden bat and leaned against the wall.

Taryn returned from her bedroom. "That was our security system's headquarters. The police are on their way."

"My dad is going to freak out," Dallas said resolutely. "He insisted on getting a house here over Downtown because he thought it would be so much safer. I don't recall any of my friends who live in Downtown getting robbed!"

Carly spoke up for the first time. "Dallas, do you want us to help you clean up?"

"Oh, no, Carly, we better wait for the police to get here before we touch anything," Dallas reasoned. "And don't worry cleaning anything later. I'll handle it."

"Okay," Carly replied in a small voice.

Freddie turned to Carly and placed his hands on his shoulders. "Carls, you okay?"

"I'm fine," Carly replied reassuringly. "Just a little shaken, that's all. I really want to lay down."

"Go to bed, Cupcake, I'm sure Freddie can talk to the police when they get here," Sam interjected.

"Yeah, I can," Freddie agreed, "You go lie down. Do you want to sleep alone, or-"

"No!" Carly declined firmly. "Can you stay with me once you're done out here?"

He leaned in and gave her a kiss on her forehead. "Of course, Carls. I'll be in there as soon as possible." She reached up and gave him a quick peck on lips before disappearing into the guest room.

"Ummm," Taryn piped up, looking very confused. She pointed back and forth between Freddie and the guest room. "When the hell did that happen?"

"I have a better question for you, Taryn," Dallas interceded, crossing over to the rest of the occupants. "Just what were you planning on doing with that Wii remote? Were you gonna challenge the nice criminal to a game of tennis?"

* * *

With the chaos of the attempted break-in, Freddie forgot to asked Carly to continue the conversation she tried to start that night. They woke up the next day and spent the morning going through the old costumes in Sam's storage unit. All three dancers had an early afternoon rehearsal, so Carly and Freddie spent the time driving around the city and seeing some of the sites. Both of them were enjoying themselves so much that they almost forgot to meet the girls back at the house at five o' clock like they promised. When they arrived, Taryn had two tuxedos for Freddie to try on.

"Jax's feet are a size smaller than yours, so I wasn't able to score you shoes," she explained apologetically, referring to her boyfriend. "But those black Converses you wore the other day should be just fine. Nobody notices what the guys are wearing, anyways. They mainly want to make sure the dancers look presentable."

"I'll definitely have to thank your boyfriend when I meet him," Freddie said gratefully. "I really appreciate this, Taryn."

Taryn gave him a big smile. "Oh, we appreciate you guys suffering through a boring night with us on your vacation! I promise, we'll only be there for about an hour and a half, then we'll all sneak out and have some real fun."

"Sounds like a plan to us!" Carly agreed cheerfully. "I'll get ready with Sam in her room!" She skipped off to her friend's quarters while Taryn disappeared into her room to get ready, as well. Freddie remained in the living room and went over his choices, which looked fairly similar to each other. The tux he decided upon didn't look like anything special (just the usual black pants, crisp white shirt, tuxedo jacket and bowtie), but everything fit him very well. He was just excited to see what Carly would look like, though he was certain that she would looks absolutely beautiful.

By 7:15, everyone was showered, shaved, groomed, scented, and close to ready to head out the door. Dallas looked amazing in her burnt orange, knee length, one shouldered dress. There were large rosettes closely grouped from the right side of her waist all the way up the solitary left strap. Her hair was bone-straight and her make-up was flawless. She was shoeless at the moment and nailing boards over the broken window.

"This is so damn tacky," she muttered to herself repeatedly. "Boarded-up windows…just tacky!"

Taryn laughed at her roommate from the kitchen. She had on an emerald green dress, which complimented her pale skin perfectly. The dress had a high neckline, but draped dangerously low in the back. Instead of her wild hair, she had smoothed it down and clipped a glittery jeweled barrette at her temple. Freddie noticed that she kept rubbing her nose, which was absent of its usual piercing. She was cleaning the counter when she asked where Sam and Carly were.

"I think they're still getting ready," Dallas answered, gathering the scrap wood and setting it by the door. "When is Jax getting here?"

"Should be here any minute," Taryn replied. "I had to talk him out of a mint green suit. Seriously, I think he lives to embarrass me."

The door to Sam's room opened and both her and Carly exited into the hallway. Freddie thought Sam looked great. The dress she chose to wear was a red strapless floor-length gown. It was simple, but it hugged her curves fittingly and showed off her toned arms. Her hair was in the usual big curls and her make-up was simple, except for the fire-engine red lipstick (which Freddie was sure that she borrowed from one of her roommates). Her peep-toe shoes revealed toenails that were coated in shiny clear polish. She seemed to be comfortable enough in her look, though Freddie could tell that she'd rather be wearing her sneakers.

Then, he saw Carly. She looked breath-taking in the dress that she borrowed from Dallas. It was a solid pale pink cocktail length dress with a sheer floral lace overlay. A black ribbon cinched the waist and tied at the side. She wore a pair of matching pink stiletto pumps and her long, wavy hair cascaded around her shoulders. She also opted for simple make-up, only wearing a little pink blush and rose-tinted lipgloss. She locked eyes with Freddie and a slow smile crept across her face as she sauntered over to him. Stunned, he was reduced to a simple word.

"Wow," he breathed.

"You, too," Carly answered.

Sam looked back and forth between the two. "Okay, you two, don't make me hurl!"

Taryn and Dallas chuckled just as the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Taryn cried, bolting from the kitchen in her clicking green pumps and opening the door to reveal a man in black tux, complete with an emerald green vest and tie.

"Hi, babe!" Taryn greeted excitedly, stepping to the side to allow Jax to enter the house. Freddie could tell that he was thoroughly uncomfortable in his suit, though he was outwardly smiling to his excited girlfriend. He had short, spiked blonde hair and goatee that looked freshly trimmed. Freddie could spot one of his tattoos peaking from the cuff of his jacket and guessed that he had plenty more.

"Hey, hot stuff," Jax replied in his deep voice, which included a hint of a Southern accent, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. "Wow, you look amazing!"

"So do you!" Taryn complimented.

"Don't lie," he countered, laughing. He looked around at the other occupants of the room.

"Sam!" he greeted cheefully, walking over to her and giving her a friendly hug. "Lookin' good! Where you hidin' the gun?" he joked.

"Down my bra, as usual," she replied laughingly. Jax peeked around Sam and waived at Dallas.

"Dallas!"

"Hey, boo!" she replied with a smile. He seemed to have a good rapport with everyone in the house. He turned to Carly and stuck out his hand for her to shake.

"I'm Jax, Taryn's boyfriend," he introduce with an easy smile. "Carly, right?"

"Yeah! Nice to meet you!"

Jax did the same with Freddie, who took his hand firmly. "And you're Freddie! You look better in that suit than I did!"

"Hey, thanks, man! I appreciate it!"

He waved his hand dismissively. "Not a problem. I hate wearing them, but it makes the lady happy, so…"

"Awwww!" Taryn squealed, coming up behind Jax and giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Okay, enough of this chizz, let's get this over with so we can get to the good times," Sam ordered, producing a mini Slim Jim from her clutch purse and heading to the door. Dallas grabbed her purse from the dining table and went over to the side of the couch, where a pair of gold peep-toed heels were waiting for her. Freddie turned to Carly and extended a hand to the door.

"After you," he said gallantly, placing a gentle hand at the small of her back. She smiled, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and followed the others out the door. Freddie, Carly and Sam piled into Dallas's blue Lexus SUV while Taryn joined Jax in his black Toyota Tacoma. Sam strapped herself in the front seat.

"Buckle up, kids," she said in the rear view mirror to Carly and Freddie, "and prepare yourselves for the lamest party in history."

* * *

Freddie stood in front of the President's Mansion, completely blown away by the structure. The only way he could describe it was that it looked like a miniature version of the White House, complete with swarming staff and a slew of luxury cars pulling up to the front.

"This place is insane," Freddie marveled. He looked down at the brunette he had on his, who looked just as awed by the venue.

"It's gorgeous," she breathed. Freddie smiled at her, then bent down to speak in her ear.

"I don't know if I've said this to you yet, but you look absolutely beautiful," he said in a low voice.

She turned her face so that her eyes met his. "And you look unbelievably handsome, Freddie."

His smile grew and it took everything he had not wrap her in his arms and kiss her senseless. Dallas came up to his other side and cleared her throat.

"Um, I thought you were supposed to be my date, sir!" she said jokingly.

Freddie laughed. "I can't help myself. I have a ridiculously gorgeous best friend…although you look amazing, too, Dallas" he said genuinely.

Dallas gave him a soft smile. "Thank you, Freddie. And for the record, Carly does look rather hot tonight. I don't blame you one bit."

Carly laughed and thanked the girl as the group made their way into the mansion. They were greeted by more staff, who led them through the atrium and into the grand ballroom. The ballroom was truly a sight to behold: the ceiling was adorned with multiple chandeliers and intricate gold patterns, tables covered in snow white linens held glasses of champagne, wine, and endless hor d'oeuvres (which Sam wasted no time getting to), taller tables draped with linen and lace surrounded a large wood-paneled dance floor, a woman on a Steinway piano, a violinist, and a young man on a cello were clustered at the corner of it and a gaggle of additional staff were serving more food on silver trays. In each of the far corners of the ballroom there were fully-stocked bars. Taryn and Jax quickly walked to the nearest bar while Dallas turned to Freddie and Carly.

"Okay, it's eight o' clock now, we're trying to leave here by 9:15, 9:30 at the latest," Dallas explained in a low tone. "The president should be making her speech around 8:30, then we have to mingle with some of the patrons, then we roll out."

"Deal," Freddie and Carly said in unison. Dallas walked away to join Sam at one of the tables of food, leaving Carly and Freddie to entertain themselves.

"This place is amazing," Carly gushed. "I don't get why the girls dreaded coming here!"

Freddie shrugged. "I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. For now," Freddie stuck his arm out for Carly to grab, "why don't we get ourselves a beverage?"

"Lead the way," Carly smiled.

The soiree progressed just as Dallas predicted. The president gave her welcome speech right at 8:30, then the director of the Dance department introduced all of the featured dancers for the following days showcase, including Sam, who put on her best pageant smile while she hid a cocktail shrimp behind her back. Once the introductions where over, the dancers were approached by various patrons. The musicians started to play a waltz and a number of older couples began to dance. Freddie leaned over to Carly.

"I'd ask you do dance," he whispered in her ear, "but I have no clue what they're doing."

Carly giggled as they were joined by Taryn, Jax and Dallas.

"Are we having fun yet?" Dallas asked, taking a sip of her cocktail.

"Actually, we're having a lovely time! This place is so unreal!" Carly answered, still in disbelief of her surroundings. "It's like something you see in the movies!"

At that, Taryn discreetly pointed at an older, stout, balding man with wispy gray hair who was slowly walking in their direction. "Uh oh, here he comes, Dallas."

Dallas glanced in the direction Taryn was indicating, rolled her eyes, and took a large sip of her cocktail. "Damn, here comes Parker Caswell. Carly, you wanna see 'unreal'? Well, watch how I have to interact with this rich, greasy, fat, Daddy Warbucks-lookin' mother fu- Mr. Caswell! How good to see you!"

Dallas's entire demeanor changed mid-sentence once Parker Caswell reached the group. He was closely followed by a tall, younger gentleman with slicked back brunette hair and a long, pointed nose.

"Why, Miss Dallas Sheppard, don't you look better than the last steak on the grill!" Parker cried, grasping Dallas's hand and planting a particularly moist kiss on it. Dallas's remained poised.

"Oh, you are still too kind, Mr. Caswell," she cooed. "You've met Taryn Glass and this is-"

"-Taryn's boyfriend, Jax Clarke," Jax interrupted firmly, extending one hand for a handshake while the other laid protectively on her shoulder. "Nice to meet you, sir."

"Likewise, son," he said half-heartedly while his eyes remained greedily on Taryn.

"And this is Carly Shay and Fredward Benson," Dallas continued, not giving the rotund man an opportunity to say anything to her roommate.

Mr. Caswell did not bother to greet Freddie, but immediately turned his attention to Carly. "Why, hello there, pretty lady," he said in a husky tone that really bothered Freddie. He turned to the man who followed him and indicated for him to come closer.

"This is my associate, Clarence Tamlin. He's interested in possibly investing in your department," he informed, introducing the man with the pointed nose. The man briefly nodded at to everyone, but he fixed a hungry gaze on Carly. He extended a hand to Carly and when she prepared to shake it, he held onto her hand, slowly stroking it. Carly gave him an uneasy smile.

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Shay," he greeted, his voice deep and reverberating. "Tell me, are you a dancer yourself?"

"Oh, no, not in the least," she answered with a nervous giggle.

"Oh, that's a shame," he said with a bit of a drawl, "you certainly have the face for it. Not to mention, you have quite the figure."

Freddie felt his blood boiling at the way these men were ogling Carly. He opened his mouth to tell them off, but he felt a strong hand grip his shoulder and stop him. He turned to find Jax giving him a sympathetic look and discreetly shaking his head. Knowing that Jax must have known how he felt, he bit his tongue (literally) and kept quiet.

"Thank you," Carly replied tersely, extracting her hand from Clarence's grip and shifting herself closer to Freddie. He placed a hand on her lower back and rubbed gently, letting her know that he was there. Suddenly, Freddie completely understood why Dallas, Taryn, and Sam were reluctant to come to the soiree. It's wasn't just a fancy party, it was an opportunity for these women to be eyeballed and put on display like circus acts. Even worse, they were expected to "play nice" for the sake of garnering a few bucks for their school, even if that meant having to endure ogling and come-ons.

"_I have to get Carly out of here_," Freddie thought. He felt a little protective of Sam for a moment, as well, but he remembered that she was used to these events and would probably break someone's arm before allowing anyone to disrespect her.

"Well, we must make our rounds. I want Mr. Tamlin to meet all of the lovely dancers before we leave here tonight," Parker explained, much to Freddie's relief. "Dallas, please don't be a stranger." He grabbed her hand and, once again, kissed the back of it before exiting the cluster, Clarence close at his heels.

Dallas raised the kissed hand and examined it slowly. "This hand…will be dipped in the nearest vat of acid," she said, her voice dripping with disdain.

"I feel completely violated by that jerk!" Carly said, shuddering. Freddie put an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple.

"I think we've done our time," Taryn said decidedly. "We should stay ten more minutes tops, then head to the nearest bar."

"Oh, no!" Carly suddenly gasped. "They're making their way over to Sam!"

Freddie looked in the same direction as Carly and saw that the gentlemen were, indeed, circling their blonde friend like a couple of sharks. "Not good," he stated. He understood Carly's anxiety towards the situation at hand. While he and Carly were able to hold back their tempers, Sam was not. If they said anything remotely slimy to her, she would attack in a very public way.

"Damn, this could end very badly," Dallas stressed, putting her half-empty cocktail glass down on the nearest table.

"Dallas, she's already looking a little on edge. This may be a good time to active Plan Green Light," Taryn said cryptically. Freddie looked at Taryn curiously.

"You may be right on this one, Tar," Dallas agreed, keeping her gaze on Sam while extending an outstretched palm towards Jax. "Give me your valet ticket, Jax. I'll bring the cars around."

Without a word, Jax handed her his ticket and, within seconds, Dallas was walking briskly towards the exit. Jax rolled his eyes and groaned, then removed his jacket while heading in Sam's general direction. Freddie tapped Taryn on the shoulders.

" 'Plan Green Light?'" he asked, eyebrows raised.

Taryn nodded. "It's our getaway plan in case one of us, mainly Sam, makes a scene at one these events," she explained leading them towards the area Sam was in. "If she goes ape on these guys, we've got to get her out of here before too many people notice. We've only ever had to flee once, and it was during an opening night reception that went horribly wrong. I would love to say that the incident then wasn't food-related, but it totally was."

Freddie was stunned that these incidents happened so often that they had to develop an escape plan. Back in the day, he and Carly would just let Sam handle her business. They could have really used a similar drill in high school. As they got closer to Sam, they could see her snatching her hand away from Clarence with an expression of utter disgust. She was saying something to him and though he could not hear her, Freddie could tell that her words were biting and probably included a threat of some bodily harm. Jax was hovering in the area with his jacket in hand, prepared to act in a moment's notice. Taryn held her hand out in front of Carly and Freddie, blocking them from advancing further.

"Okay," she whispered in a hushed tone, "if I say the word "go," I need you both-"

"YOU SONOFABITCH!"

The next sequence of events happened so quickly that Freddie felt like his head was literally spinning. Within a few seconds Sam had thrown a drink in Clarence's face, which prompted Jax to throw his jacket over Sam's head, lift her into his arms and race towards the exit. Taryn grabbed both Freddie and Carly and dragged them at an almost sprinting pace, trailing Jax and Sam (who was still struggling against him and shouting profanities) by only a few inches. They reached the front entrance in record time and burst outside, where Dallas was waiting with both cars parked in front. The passenger door was already open and Jax dropped her unceremoniously in the front seat. He removed the jacket from her head and closed the door, running to his own truck and opening the front door for Taryn. Carly and Freddie dove into the backseat and Dallas sped off before anyone even had the chance to secure their seat belt. It reminded Freddie of a heist he saw in a movie once, but instead of jewels or money, the only thing they made off with was a raging, irate blonde.

"That's greasy little prick!" Sam shouted. "He actually said that he wouldn't mind seeing my body in a 'more private setting!' He's lucky he only got a drink in the face!"

"What a creep!" Carly shrieked.

"Well, I can't blame you for standing up to that nonsense," Dallas sighed, shaking her head. "And you lasted without incident for an hour and thirteen minutes, so that's a plus!"

Freddie and Carly chuckled briefly at Dallas's praise. Even Sam gave a little smile.

"Drinks," Sam uttered simply. "Immediately."

The gang ended up at Shade, a lounge in Downtown Orlando that played mainly jazz and blues music. They all decided that it was the perfect place to unwind and, according to Taryn, it wasn't too crowded on Fridays, so they could enjoy themselves freely. Dallas and Jax parked their cars in a nearby parking garage. Freddie decided to remove his jacket and leave it in the car, since the night was seasonably warm. The group walked the short distance to the lounge and found the place almost empty. They settled in a comfy booth and Carly brought up the madness to the group.

"Okay, so what happened back there was insane!" she cried. "Plan Green Light? Wow!"

"It's actually supposed to go a lot smoother than it did," Taryn began while she fished her ID out of her beaded clutch. "Jax was in position to cover Sam's face with his jacket so that nobody important, like the president of the school or a super wealthy patron, could see her. Then we were supposed to surround her and Jax at my signal to further shield her from view. The problem was -"

"-that I just kind of bolted," Jax interrupted, completing Taryn's thought. He shrugged, unapologetic. "But she was kicking and screaming so hard that I was just ready to put her down."

The table laughed, including Sam, and began discussing their drink orders. After a few minutes Taryn, Dallas, and Jax went up to the bar to order beverages for the table, leaving the trio of iCarly friends to themselves.

"Sam, are you alright?" Freddie asked, untying his bowtie and rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. He was concerned that, like Carly, she may have felt a little violated.

Sam gave him a reassuring nod. "Yeah, Mama's good. Usually the male patrons aren't that forward, at least not towards me. The fat guy's really into Dallas for some reason, so he leaves the rest of us alone."

"But how can you all just put up with being paraded around like that?" Carly asked in disbelief. "I'm not even a part of the school and I felt like I was under x-ray vision most of the time! How do you handle it?"

Sam went through her bag, in search of something. "Honestly, if it's not the pervy old men, it's the jealous women or the overly critical retired dancers or the cranky elderly patrons who complain that things 'just ain't how they used to be,'" she mimicked in her best elderly impression. "On the rare occasion that you actually meet a normal, appreciative fan of the department, then you could potentially have a very nice time. Plus, I reiterate, the food rocks." At the end of her explanation, she pulled out a napkin that was filled with cocktail shrimp. Freddie looked over at Carly, who was shaking her head and laughing at the sight.

"Really, Sam?" Carly giggled.

"Are you shocked?" Sam countered, mumbling through a mouthful of shrimp.

The trio continued to swap stories about the night when Dallas, Taryn, and Jax returned with drinks for the table.

"Sam, remember that we can't get sloppy tonight," Dallas reminded. "We can't dance tomorrow with a hangover."

"Wouldn't be the first time!" Taryn joked. The group sipped their drinks and chatted idly until she and Jax stood up.

"We're going to head to the bar next door to say 'hello' to the DJ for a little bit. We'll be back!" With that, the couple disappeared. Dallas turned to Sam.

"C'mon, Sammy P, there's a guy I want you to meet at the bar. He's hot. We'll worry about the personality later."

Dallas dragged Sam from the booth, who popped one last shrimp into her mouth, leaving Carly and Freddie alone. Freddie stared at the brunette sitting next to him as she sipped her Vodka Cranberry and swayed to the easy jazz music playing in the background. She looked at Freddie, who grinned coyly at her.

"What are you think about?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows in curiosity. As a response, he stood up and extended an outstretched hand to her.

"Dance with me."

"Right here? In the middle of the bar?"

"We've danced in much stranger places, Carls," he reminded her with a smirk, remembering their first dance in the Groovy Smoothie. She laughed, sat her drink on the table, then took his hand and allowed herself to be led a couple of feet from their booth. Freddie stopped to face her, then held one of her hands while the other snaked around her slim waist. They swayed in time to the slow jazz as Freddie gazed into the eyes of the girl he fell in love with a decade ago. Even after a couple of days, he could hardly believe that she was in his arms and allowing him to hold her close, like he's dreamed of so many times before.

Freddie was snapped out of his reverie by Carly's voice.

"This was a hectic night," she stated with a small smile.

"To say the least," Freddie responded. "You know, Carly, I wanted to kill that Clarence guy. If Jax hadn't been there to keep me calm, I would have probably made a bigger scene than Sam did."

Carly sighed, moving in a little closer. "Well, I'm glad he was there, then. No need to fight over lil' ol' me."

Freddie regarded her with unflinching admiration. "You're always worth fighting over."

The music changed from a smooth, jazzy melody to a slow, bluesy ballad.

**You've been on my mind,  
I grow fonder every day,  
Lose myself in time,  
Just thinking of your face,  
God only knows why it's taken me so long to let my doubts go,  
You're the only one that I want…**

"Did you and Esther really fight a lot because of me?"

The question came out of nowhere and caught Freddie off guard, but he saw no reason not to indulge her.

"You were often a topic of discussion and, yes, that prompted a few fights," he began slowly. "She admittedly saw you as a threat, though I told her about our bond when we started dating. The last fight we had concerning you happened when I returned to my apartment after stopped by your place with dinner that night, remember?"

"When you brought me Lotus Blossoms?" Carly asked in disbelief. "You never told me that you guys fought because of that!"

Freddie shrugged. "I knew you'd blame yourself and I didn't want that. The fight was nowhere near your fault, it was totally mine."

**I don't know why I'm scared,  
I've been here before,  
Every feeling, every word,  
I've imagined it all,  
You'll never know if you never try,  
To forgive your past and simply be mine…**

"What do you mean?" Carly probed, looking completely engrossed in Freddie's story. Freddie sighed, then soldiered on.

"That night, Esther told me that when it comes to you, I just react. She said that the second I see you mad, sad, or the slightest bit unhappy that I jump to your side. I think what made her upset the most was that I didn't deny it."

He looked down at their feet for a moment. He knew that he was in danger of saying too much, but the urge to be completely open with her was overwhelming.

"When it comes to you," he continued, still looking at the ground, "I react without thinking. I hate to see you hurt or upset and when I do, all I know is that I have to do everything in my power to change it."

He looked up, daring to stare straight into her eyes.

"It's also important to me that _I'm _the one that makes you smile, laugh, feel good about yourself…I want to be the one that makes you happy. That's probably a very selfish sentiment, but it's the truth and it's been my truth since I met you. No one could change that, ever."

**I dare you to let me be your, your one and only,  
Promise I'm worth it,  
To hold in your arms,  
So come on and give me a chance,  
To prove I am the one who can walk that mile,  
Until the end starts…**

Freddie watched Carly intently as she closed her eyes and leaned forward, touching her forehead to his. Then she spoke, her voice just barely above a whisper.

"Freddie, I'm in love with you. I am incredibly, absurdly in love with you and I have absolutely no desire to be with anyone else."

For a brief moment, he felt his heart stop. As many times as he's fantasized about this very moment, he never imagined the words sounding that incredible.

"Carly," he managed to choke out, "are you sure this is what you want? Because I don't think I can go back-"

"-I don't ever want us to go back," she firmly interrupted. She removed her hand from his grip and placed her palm gently upon his cheek, regaining eye contact with him. "You're it for me. There's no point in fighting it any longer. I just want to be happy. _You_ make me happy. You've been the only one who could make me this happy for a long time now."

Freddie exhaled, then wrapped both of his arms around her waist and kissed her with such fervor that he was certain that she knew he felt the same way. He felt her cling to him as they kissed, her actions mirroring the need that he felt for her in his heart. He pulled back, placing gentle kisses on her cheeks, eyelids, and forehead.

"I've been waiting to hear you say that since we were ten, Carls," he told her, continuing to kiss her face. "I've never stopped loving you. I may have tried my best to get over you, but I never fell out of love with you. Not even for a second, hence why its never worked with anyone else."

He held onto her tightly, searching for something perfect or, at least, smooth to say in this moment. When he could think of nothing else, all he could do was kiss her and say what was in his heart.

"Be with me. Please."

She smiled, then simply nodded.

Elated, he pulled her flush against him, lifting her off her feet while both of her hands cupped his face as they kissed without a care in the world. He could finally call her 'his,' and in that moment, that was the only thing that mattered. They kissed blissfully for an immeasurable amount of time and only stopped when Freddie's arms grew tired. He finally placed her back on her feet, only then noticing the music had long since changed to a high-tempo jazz number. Suddenly, they heard a smattering of applause. The couple turned to find Dallas, Sam, and Jax hooting an applauding them. Taryn was among them, looking both shocked and impressed.

"Okay, seriously! When the fuck did _this_ start?"

* * *

**A/N: Song credit - "One and Only" by Adele.**

**I hope you all liked this chapter! It was a long one.**

**Thank you all so much for sticking with my story! Please don't forget to review!**

**Love you and and Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	18. Chapter 18

Carly had grown accustomed to being woken up each morning by the sound of the sprinklers shooting streams of water at her window. Much like an alarm clock, the loud splashing would inform her that it was 9:30, compelling her to start her day.

This morning was different.

On this peaceful Saturday morning, Carly was brought to consciousness by the feel of pillow soft lips leaving a trail of gentle kisses from her temple to her neck.

An involuntary moan escaped her throat, informing Freddie that she was awake. He lifted his head just slightly, then gave her a glowing smile when he saw her big eyes flutter open.

"Good morning, sweetheart," he whispered, placing a soothing kiss on her cheek.

Carly gave him a sleepy smile and caressed his stubbled cheek. "Best morning," she replied. Freddie hovered over her for a moment, drinking in the disheveled sight of the girl who told him that she loved him just the night before. His smile grew wider as leaned down to kiss her lips for the first time that day.

"How did my exceedingly wonderful girlfriend sleep last night?" he asked in a low voice. Carly's heart quickened at the word "girlfriend." Suddenly, she couldn't help smiling, herself.

"She slept incredibly well," she answered as she trailed her fingertips up and down his forearm. "Her slumber would have been perfect if her unbelievably amazing boyfriend hadn't snored like a freight train!"

"I did not snore!" Freddie denied indignantly, She lifted herself just slightly and nodded excitedly.

"Oh, you sure did. In fact, we should ask Sam! I'm sure she heard you!"

"Good idea," he agreed with a sly grin. "And while we're at it, we can ask her to confirm your tendency to talk in your sleep!"

Carly gasped. "I do not!"

"So, you _didn't_ have a dream about Spencer chasing you around Japan with a giant chopstick?"

"…I don't remember," she claimed, though the growing blush in her cheeks said otherwise.

"Suuuuure," Freddie taunted. He tickled her sides and planted another kiss on her lips, swallowing her escaping giggles. She pressed her lips against his enthusiastically and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him down directly on top of her. She liked feeling his weight on her body; not only did she find it sexy, but she felt protected. He scooped her body into his arms, deepening their kiss. In the deep crevices of her mind she wished that she could scurry off to brush her teeth and run a comb through her hair, but she could tell that Freddie was beyond anything superficial at this point, and she felt luckier for it. Something about him accepting her as she was, without the frills, made her love him even more. He finally pulled back and gazed at her with unmistakable admiration.

"Love you, Carly," Freddie breathed, gently pushing wayward strand of hair away from forehead. "So, so much."

Freddie's sincerity was almost too much to handle. Carly could feel the familiar sting of oncoming tears, but she bit her lip and held them back.

"I love you, too, Freddie," she replied. She leaned up and gave him a chaste kiss and with that, she was ready to start the day with her man.

They exited the room and found the house dead silent. Curious, Carly walked around the house in search of any other sign of life. Instead, she found a note from Sam on the living room coffee table, informing her and Freddie that the three roommates went to Yoga to "limber up" for that night's showcase and would be doing some last minute running around and rehearsing all day. Sam had thought ahead and attached two tickets to the showcase in the likely event that they didn't see each other before the show. Carly could hear the shower running in the bathroom as she made her way to the kitchen. Dallas had written a note on the dry erase board hung by the kitchen entrance, granting her and Freddie permission to help themselves to anything in the fridge. Carly decided to make her and Freddie a simple breakfast before they went into town. She scrambled some eggs, toasted two bagels, and cleaned a handful of strawberries from the basket in the fridge. Freddie reappeared as she was arranging the food on two plates. His hair was still damp and he had changed into a pair of dark jeans and a Penny Tee that said "Fasting Hippos."

"What's this?" he asked, sounding very amused.

Carly turned around with a plate of food. Slightly distracted by the sight of Freddie in his tight shirt, she dazedly handed him his meal. "Breakfast," she uttered, then snapped herself out of her trance. "Don't get too excited, it's nothing major."

Freddie took the plate, then stepped closer to Carly so that he could give her a brief kiss of gratitude. "It looks delicious, baby. Thank you."

"You're welcome, babe," Carly replied with a big smile. They hadn't even been together for more than twelve hours and she was already cooking for him, and she loved it. She couldn't wait to get back to Washington and cook him an actual meal one night. She followed him into the dining room with her own plate and they sat at the table together, digging into their eggs.

"So the showcase isn't until eight o' clock," Carly said as she picked up the pepper shaker off of the table and lightly seasoned her eggs. "The door open at 7. What should we do until then?"

"I wanted to take you to Sea World," he informed her, taking in another mouthful of scrambled eggs. "We're in Florida. We have to go to at least one theme park."

Carly was excited. She had wondered whether or not Freddie had thought of going to any of the major attractions while they were there. Sea World sounded like it would be a lot of fun and it was conveniently close to Sam's house.

"Freddie, that sounds awesome! I'll get ready quickly. We have to be back here by six to get ready for tonight."

"Sounds good. So are you going to pet a string ray?"

"Absolutely not," Carly answered without a trace of hesitation. Freddie laughed uproariously.

* * *

They had returned to the house around five in the afternoon, happy to be in the comfort of air conditioning and away from crowds of people. Though they had a great time on the rides and amongst the aquatic animals, all they wanted to do was take a nap together before they had to go to Sam's performance. Carly's favorite part about the trip had been the open affection they showed for each other throughout the day. Freddie took every opportunity to wrap his arms around her, give her light kisses on her neck, and hold her hand as they stood in lines or walked around the park. She had spotted a few girls checking Freddie out (just as he said to have caught a few men eyeballing her), but she didn't feel jealous or threatened in any way. Freddie only had eyes for her, and he had her attention entirely. This thought put a satisfied smile on her face, even up to the moment when she fell asleep in his arms on the couch.

At 7:40 p.m., Carly and Freddie found themselves in the middle of the eight row in the enormous Jacob Marselle Theatre, the focal performing venue at the Tifton Academy of the Arts. Though the show was not to start for another twenty minutes, the place was already filling up quickly with fans of the Dance department, old and young alike. Freddie looked around in amazement.

"Wow, there's a lot of people here," he observed. "I didn't expect a turnout like this. The girls weren't joking when they said that this was a big event."

"Yeah, I can see why Sam was nervous," Carly said, taking a look around for herself. "To do a solo performance in front of all these people…I can't imagine the pressure she's feeling right now." Carly was beginning to feel nervous for her best friend out of sheer sympathy. Still, she was confident that she would do well. The last time she had seen Sam dance was at the beauty pageant she had competed in when they were younger. If she was great then, she couldn't wait to see her abilities now.

"Sam's gonna be just fine. All that violent energy has to be channeled into something positive eventually, right?" Freddie reasoned with a smirk. Carly swatted his arm playfully and settled more comfortably in her seat.

Moments later, the lights in the theatre dimmed and a middle aged woman with jet black hair came on the stage. She welcomed the audience and gave a brief introduction on the impact of dance in today's culture, which elicited a few groans of boredom from a few of the students behind Carly and Freddie. Luckily, the speech was short and with her exit off of the stage, the showcase commenced. The first two performances were a little abstract. The first featured a tall, gaunt girl dancing furiously not to music, but to spoken word. Carly imagined Sam looking at this performance from backstage and asking "_What the chizz is this?_" The thought made Carly laugh involuntarily, which earned her a few glares from a number of surrounding audience members. She mouthed an embarrassed apology and tightly closed her lips. Freddie looked at her with amusement before returning his attention to the stage. After that performance finished (followed by a smattering of polite applause), a group of very young looking dancers crawled onto the stage like animals. The song in the background had a primal beat as they performed a dance that resembled some sort of fight scene. They clawed at each other and leaped and twirled and clawed again, confusing Carly all the while. They finished, and the crowd applauded again.

"That was weird," Carly whispered to Freddie, while quietly clapping her hands.

"I don't know," he said with a shrug. "It was kind of cool."

The simple background on the stage turned red, and the music that played was slow and sultry. After a few beats, Dallas slunk onto the stage seductively in a tight black corseted outfit, her hair in wild curls and her brown skin shimmering under the lights. She moved across the stage in long, confident strides as she allowed the audience to truly take in the sight of her, sexy and completely in control. She was soon joined by a man who appeared completely under her spell as her hips twitched and she extended her legs. The look in Dallas's eyes as she zeroed in on her prey was absolutely feral, and the two began to dance together with such untamed passion that Carly wondered whether or not they had some sort of history beyond this performance. Nevertheless, she could not take her eyes off the dancer, who moved with such accuracy, yet such abandon. When the dance ended moments later, the applause was significantly louder than it had been for the first two performances.

Carly looked over to Freddie, who looked just as stunned as Carly had been.

"That was incredible!" Carly exclaimed in a hush tone.

"Totally," Freddie agreed. "I wonder if Mr. Caswell is here!"

Carly laughed at the thought of the tubby elderly gentlemen watching Dallas from his seat, completely enraptured by Dallas's performance. She hoped that she didn't run into him after the show.

The background changed again, from red to pitch black. The lights above the stage came down for a moment and Carly could see a couple of figures in the dark, positioning themselves on the stage. Once they were still, the lights came back up to reveal a few girls lying on the ground, barefoot and clad in simple tank tops and shorts. The pounding music played and Carly was surprised to hear a song that she actually recognized.

**I tell you how I feel, but you don't care  
I say "tell me the truth," but you don't dare  
You say love is a hell you cannot bear  
And I say gimme mine back and then go there, for all I care… **

The woman slithered rhythmically on the ground before jerking upward, the look in their eyes blank and helpless. One of those woman was Taryn, her hair back to it's trendy spikes. To match the tone of angst in the music, the look on her face was that of torture and bubbling anger. In contrast to Dallas's display of control, Taryn lost hers with onset of the chorus.

**I got my feet on the ground  
And I don't go to sleep to dream  
You got your head in the clouds  
You're not at all what you seem  
This mind, this body and this voice cannot be stifled  
by your deviant ways  
So don't forget what I told you, don't come around  
I got my own hell to raise …**

She spun with such great force that Carly wondered how she managed to not fall over. As Taryn threw her fists in the air and balanced herself on the tips of her toes, Carly truly recognized the muscle definition in her arms and thighs. Taryn held such a grace in her movement, yet still displayed unbelievable athleticism as she leapt virtually from one side of the stage to the other. She danced like a jilted ex-lover, bitter and emotional, yet there was a certain power in her steps that drew the audience in. The other women on stage followed her lead as they all danced as if to be releasing some suppressed rage. Carly thought the performance was absolutely beautiful.

When they finished, the applause that followed sounded just as enthusiastic as the one given for Dallas. The stage went dark again, allowing the dancers a stealthy exit. Carly had a feeling that Sam was next. Moments later, her guess was confirmed.

The lights returned and the stage was a brilliant white. First there was silence, then there was the single high pitch note of a violin. From the corner of the stage appeared a solitary foot wrapped in a brilliant sky blue ballet shoe. The foot flexed once, then gently touched the ground. The single violin note then flourished into a gentle classical tune, and the blonde slowly revealed herself, looking timid. At first, Carly thought that the look on Sam's face was due to her nerves. Then she realized that it was part of the performance. Sam's moves were delicate, shy, and graceful; three words Carly never thought she would ever associate with her tough friend. As the music swelled, Sam would quicken her pace, her feet moving with quick precision and her hair flowing behind her.

Sam's performance told a clear story. When the music would soften, she would look off-stage expectantly, as if to be awaiting someone's arrival, possibly a lover. When he wouldn't appear, the music would turn gloomy and Sam would look distressed, her strides deliberate as she continued to look over her shoulder. Then the music would swell again and her expression would turn reflective, as if she remembered a better time with her long lost love. She would turn on her toes and leap so high in the air with her blue skirt floating around her that she looked like a bird, or an angel. Carly was captivated by this side of Sam and her talent that she'd never seen before.

Freddie leaned over and whispered in Carly's ear, "It's like watching our little girl grow up, isn't it?"

"It is. She's incredible!" Carly looked to Freddie, who's face glowed with a certain pride. A brief image of her and Freddie sitting in a theatre like this one, watching their own little girl twirl and leap on a big stage, flashed in her mind. She knew it was far too soon to be thinking about the future and kids with Freddie, but the image was lovely, nonetheless. Freddie grabbed her hand and an placed a soft kiss on the back of it before returning his attention to Sam. Carly turned to the stage just in time to catch Sam's big finish, which involved a series of consecutive spins and leaps, her face shining with determination and accomplishment. On the final note, Sam landed with a leg extended forward and a flourish of her hands.

As soon as the music ended, there was a deafening round of applause. Carly and Freddie immediately stood on their feet, along with a few other members of the audience. Before the stage dimmed, she saw Sam spot her and Freddie, smiling wide. Carly could not have been more proud of her than in that moment and before she could stop it, a single tear ran down her cheek. She felt Freddie's arm wrap around her shoulder just before he kissed her tear away. Carly closed her eyes and tried to remember this overwhelming feeling of love that she felt for her two best friends.

The night ended with Carly, Sam, Freddie, Dallas, Taryn, and Jax (who had also been in attendance that night) having dinner at Bailey's. The night was relatively low key, as all three of the dancers were incredibly tired. So tired, in fact, that when they got back to the house Sam immediately crashed on the couch, not bothering to change into her sleepwear or remove her stage make-up. Carly knew better than to try to convince her to move, so she grabbed the nearest blanket and covered Sam's sleeping form. She returned to the guest room where Freddie waited for her with open arm.

* * *

Sunday arrived so quickly that Carly was caught by surprise when Dallas mentioned their "last day in Orlando." Carly was struck with sudden sadness as she thought about leaving her best friend. On the other hand, she was eager to get back to Tacoma and start her new life with Freddie as her boyfriend.

The day progressed pretty swiftly. Since it was their last day, Sam took Carly and Freddie to a local diner for breakfast. The trio talked about how great the showcase was and Sam told them stories about things that occurred behind the scenes. They laughed obnoxiously and talked nonstop, just like high school. After breakfast they went to the house and rehearsed for the webcast that night. Dallas and Taryn even helped out by turning the living room into a makeshift studio while Freddie set up his AV equipment, including the pocket projector he had purchased a few days prior. Once they decided on a final line-up, Freddie and Carly decided to launder their clothes and do some packing so that they wouldn't have to do much the following morning. After most of their things where put away, Freddie surprised Carly with a spontaneous kiss, which led to a heated round of making out on the bed. They had completely lost track of time until Sam barged into the room.

"Unless you guys want me to do the show alone," she said, arms crossed over her chest, "you better get your asses into the living room. The show starts in three minutes! By the way, you two are gross."

As she left the room, the couple simultaneously rolled their eyes.

"I love Sam, but we've got to learn how to lock that door," she sighed as she fixed her hair. Freddie nodded in agreement, straightening his shirt and heading to the living room.

The show went really well. The moment Freddie counted down with his signature, "In 5...4...3...2...," everything immediately fell into place, just like old times. It had been a long time since Carly felt the freedom to be silly, and it felt great. They did a few of their favorite segments, including "Idiot Cowgirl" and "Random Dancing," they showed the segments that they taped with Gibby in Omaha (which Sam was seeing for the first time, and thought were hilarious), and they even had Dallas and Taryn join in on the fun by having a pudding eating contest (Dallas won by a lick). The last segment of the show was a video chat with a random fan from Mississippi, who only wanted to ask Sam if he would marry him.

"Sorry, SamFandango283, but I've only got one love in this world, and that's ham. See ya!" She abruptly turned off the screen before she and Carly officially signed off.

"And we're clear!" Freddie announced, which was met with a room full of cheers.

"Awesome show, everyone!" Carly exclaimed. Sam hooted in response.

"That was so much fun!" Taryn squealed as she wiped the residual pudding from her face with a paper towel. "I can't believe you guys used to do that every week!"

"Oh, we had a blast doing it," Freddie said, dismantling his A.V. equipment. "I definitely miss it at times."

"Well, you guys were awesome!" Dallas said cheerfully. "And I suggest that we celebrate your last night in Orlando with a bang. Let's go out tonight! I feel like dancing with cute boys and making bad decisions!"

* * *

That night, Dallas took them to a place called Matchbox, a nightclub in Downtown that she claimed was packed almost every night of the week. When they all arrived, Carly found that Dallas was right: for a Sunday night, the club was filled with bodies from one side of the wall to the next. Though the place looked like it could be huge from the outside, the sight of people crammed into the space made it look small. The music thumped loudly and the crowed appeared to be completely engulfed by the beat, dancing without caution and totally unaware of how close they were to each other. It looked like chaos.

Carly could not wait to lose herself in the middle of that chaos.

Before she ran off, though, Dallas and Taryn led her, Sam and Freddie to the bar, where Dallas introduced one of the bartenders to the visitors.

"Pace is a good friend of mine," Dallas yelled to Freddie and Carly over the loud music. "If you guys want a drink, just go to her and she'll hook you up. It's on me!"

"Awww, you don't have to do that!" Carly hollered.

"Not another word! I want you guys to get loose tonight!" It's your final night in O-Town! Have a blast!" With that, Dallas grabbed her cocktail from the bar and went over to Taryn.

Freddie leaned into Carly as close as he could. "What do you want to drink?" he asked in her ear.

"Something fruity," she answered. "I don't need anything too strong."

"Alright, baby, I'll grab it for you," he said, giving her a quick kiss. He turned around to the bar and waited for Pace to serve him. Carly went over to Sam, who was already sipping on something green.

"I wish you didn't have to leave tomorrow, Carlotta," she pined, taking a sip of her drink.

"Me, too," Carly said, wrapping her friend in a hug. "But I had such a great time while I was here. Besides, you're coming back to Seattle in September, right?"

Sam nodded, "Yeah, I am. Even Dallas and Taryn are talking about tagging along!"

"That'd be awesome!" Carly cried. Over the course of a couple days, Carly had grown to really like Sam's roommates. She would love the opportunity to hang out with them again. "I hope they come!"

"Yeah, well we'll worry about that later. Tonight, let's just have a good time!"

"Agreed!"

Freddie reappeared with Carly's drink, which even included a cherry pierced with a tiny umbrella toothpick. Freddie had his own drink, which looked similar to cola, only a little clearer. The three friends joined Dallas and Taryn. Taryn turned to them, smiled, then rose her glass.

"Let's drink to Carly and Freddie, our newest buddies. You guys are awesome and we hope you both come back to Florida very soon. Thanks for being such a blast!"

The grouped whooped and clinked their glasses. With that, Dallas led the ladies to the dance floor while Freddie trailed close behind. The girls cut through the crowd somewhat easily and immediately made their way to the center. With their drinks in the air, the girls danced together in a tight group, earning the attention of some of the surrounding men and even a few women. In Carly's opinion, they were a very attractive group: Sam in her black shorts and ruffled yellow top, Dallas in a pink sweater minidress, Taryn clothed in a pair of tight skinny jeans and black lace tube top, and Carly in her favorite purple striped miniskirt and white tank top really stood out from the rest of the club goers. As they danced in a circle, Carly was thankful to be able to have this moment with Sam and the other girls. Between the cocktails, the music, and the company, she was truly having the summer that she dreamed of having all along.

The girls danced to a few songs, drinking their drinks and ignoring the advances of the "undesirables," as Sam dubbed them. Dallas brought them more drinks, which Carly was beginning to feel, and they continued to dance tirelessly. Song number seven began to play and the girls showed no signs of quitting anytime soon. As the beat began to pound through the atmosphere, Carly felt a hand gently tug at her waist. She turned around to find Freddie gazing down at her, a playful smirk on his face. After spending so much time with the girls, she almost forgot how good Freddie looked in his tight light blue button up shirt and his perfectly coiffed hair.

"Can I steal you away for just a moment?" he asked in her ear, his voice slightly husky.

"Absolutely," she said breathlessly.

He pulled her away just a couple feet from the group of girls, the turned around and wrapped his arms around her waist, dancing with her to the beat. Carly wrapped her arms around his shoulders, enjoying the feeling of being pressed up against his body. They looked into each other's eyes, blocking out the rest of the dancing crowd and totally focusing on each other. As they danced, Freddie bent down and placed a slow, maddening kiss on her lips that shot straight to her toes. His lips have never felt this good, and she thought her knees would buckle any moment. One of her hands gripped Freddie's shoulder for balance while the other dove into his hair. She could feel Freddie pressing her body closer to his, slowly going mad himself. Just as he tried to deepen the kiss, she pulled away in order to turn around and press her back against his front. She continued to dance to the music, keeping close contact with him. His hands clutched her hips as he brought her body even closer. They swayed together to the pulsating beat and Carly was beginning to wonder what was intoxicating her more: her drinks or being this close to Freddie. She could smell his cologne and almost feel his heartbeat pounding against her back. Even though there was no room left between them, Carly wanted to get closer to him, especially once he started trailing soft, tantalizing kisses down her neck.

She craned hear head upward and Freddie's lips immediately claimed hers in a hungry kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist and let his hands travel up and down her stomach. Once she felt him nibble on her bottom lip, Carly knew that she would melt to the floor at any moment. Suddenly she felt like her whole body was on fire and that she was very close to losing control.

Thankfully, Freddie pulled away from the kiss quickly and brushed Carly's hair away from her ear. He got close to hear ear and spoke, his voice rough with desperation.

"I've gotta get you back to the house. Now."

Carly could not have agreed more, but she still a little hesitant.

"I want to get out of here, too, but how are we going to get there? What about the girls?"

"We'll let them know we're heading back and I'll get us a cab. Come on," he commanded, grabbing her hand and guiding her swiftly through the crowd. He reached the girls and told them that he and Carly were tired and were heading back to the house. Before anyone could protest, he gave each of the girls a brief hug and said his goodbyes. Carly barely had a chance to wave before he was pulling her out of the club. As soon as they were outside, he yanked her to him and planted a searing kiss on her lips. When they broke apart, Freddie was panting.

"Carly, please let me know now if you want to stay here, or even go somewhere else, because once I get you to myself in that house, I don't know if I'm going to be able to hold back."

Carly leaned forward and kissed him roughly, letting him know that she felt the same way.

"Stop talking and get that cab."

That was all the convincing Freddie needed. He approached one of the cabs waiting out by the curb and spoke briefly with the driver. He had a very short conversation with the man before hailing Carly over to the vehicle. As Carly walked briskly towards the car, Freddie opened the back door for her, allowing her to dive right in. Freddie followed and slammed the door shut.

"Sir, I'll pay you double if you can get us to the address I just gave you in five minutes or less," Freddie promised.

"On it," the driver said as he sped off of the curb.

Freddie wasted no time diving for Carly's lips, one hand cupping her cheek while the other hand ghosted her bare thigh. Carly could not believe they were carrying on like this in the back of a car with a complete stranger in the driver's seat, but she quickly realized she didn't care. All she wanted was to make Freddie understand how much she needed him, right this second. If either of them had been actually paying attention, they may have been terrified by the cab driver's daredevil driving, but they were so engrossed in each other that they failed to notice. They reached the house in four and a half minutes. Freddie slapped a twenty dollar bill in the driver's hand and opened the car door, dragging Carly out behind them. They raced to the front door and Carly hastily lifted the plant and retrieved the spare key. She rushed to unlock the door while Freddie wrapped his arms around her, nibbling on her neck. She let out a satisfied mewl, almost forgetting that she was trying to get into the house. She gathered all of the focus she could muster in order to finally open the door. The couple stumbled inside, attacking each other's lips passionately. Freddie crouched down just slightly in order to lift Carly off the ground and wrap her legs around his waist. He reached back and shut the front door just before carrying the love of his life to the guest room.

This time, they remembered to lock the door.

* * *

**A/N: Song credit - "Sleep To Dream" by Fiona Apple.**

**;-)**

**Thanks for reading, you guys! Leave a review, if you'd like (...I'd like!), and have a great weekend!**

**Phunky**


	19. Chapter 19

If someone had asked Carly about that night, she could tell you almost every detail: how the smell of Freddie's cologne mingled with her perfume, the measure of care Freddie took when placing her on the bed, the taste of cola and rum on his lips, how the adrenaline and excitement took the edge off the pain when they made contact for the first time, even the number of times they said "I love you" to each other.

What she couldn't recall was how her underwear ended up hanging from the ceiling fan.

Freddie wasn't able to solve the mystery, either. They both stared at the pink lacy boy shorts hanging from the ceiling fixture as Carly laid wrapped in Freddie's strong arms. Freddie trailed his fingertips up and down Carly's spine, staring curiously at the fan.

"So, did you, like, throw them?" Carly asked, her voice soft, yet laced with amusement.

"I don't know," Freddie replied with a light chuckle. "You may have kicked them up there."

"Well, don't let me forget them. That's my favorite pair."

Freddie turned his head to give her a kiss on her forehead, then ducked his head a little so that he could whisper to her.

"Don't worry. They're my favorite pair, too!"

Carly laughed at the thought of them being his favorite pair of her underwear, considering that they were the only pair he's seen, as far as she knew. She cuddled a little closer to him. She suspected that she was already developing an addiction to the feel of her bare skin against his, and she was afraid of where that addiction may lead.

She didn't regret the events of last night; sex with Freddie was beyond anything she'd dreamed of and it involved so many feelings: lust, curiosity, pain, need, recklessness, love…even emotions that Carly couldn't describe in words. She just couldn't shake the feeling that there were so many things to discuss. Everything that transpired happened so quickly that she didn't have time to think rationally. If she had been granted that moment of lucidity, she would have asked one or two questions, the first one being whether or not this was his first time.

"_Would that have made any difference?_" she voice in her head asked. "_You still wanted him just as badly as he wanted you, if not more. Besides, you guys were protected_." It was true. Freddie remembered a condom he had in his wallet, which he carried around as a precautionary, like many guys did. They were lucky that he had it.

"_But shouldn't I consider that as some sort of red flag?_"she reasoned internally. "_Like, he and Esther were having_ so much sex _that he had to carry a spare in his wallet, just in case?_"

She felt a tinge of jealousy settle in at the thought of Freddie being this intimate with anyone else. She knew it was silly and pretty hypocritical, considering that they weren't together at the time and she had had a number of close calls herself, but she couldn't help the possessiveness that was creeping in. Though she trusted Freddie completely, she just had to know.

But how do you ask such a question?

"So…" Carly began, daring to sound as casual as possible. "Did you and Esther, or any other girl, really… have like a favorite…you know…way of doing it or did you just …wing it…or whatever?"

Freddie stared for a moment, completely expressionless, then he burst into laughter.

Carly was a little offended that he would find her curiosity funny at a time like this and tried raise herself off his chest, but he held her down firmly and reigned in his laughter just enough to give her a tiny kiss on her forehead.

"Carls, sweetie, if you want to know if I've ever slept with anyone else, just ask me," he said tenderly. "That's girlfriend privilege, you know. You can ask me anything you want."

Carly felt a little embarrassed that he was able to see through her façade so easily, but she was glad that Freddie was willing to maintain a completely open line of communication with her.

"And for the record: no, I have not had sex with anyone else," he continued. "And before you say anything, I know Esther and I had been together for a little over seven months, but I never got that far with her. Mind you, we've done other things and we've had a number of close encounters, hence the emergency protection in my wallet, but I could never bring myself to take that step with her."

"Why not?" Carly asked.

Freddie thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. "I'm not really sure, to be honest. I mean, she was very attractive and willing, and she made it very clear that she wanted to take us further, but every time we got to that point I just felt like something was holding me back. I'd like to over-romanticize it and say that it was my subconscious telling me to wait for you, but really I just think that I knew that what we had was temporary, and I didn't want to complicate it with sex."

Carly felt comforted by his answer and she appreciated his honesty even more. She tilted her head upward and smiled. "So this arrangement we have isn't temporary?" she asked in jest.

"You wish," he deadpanned. He turned to his side so that he could face her. "So, I have a question," he began with a serious tone. "Do you regret last night at all?"

Carly cast her gaze downward, breaking eye contact with him. Before she had a long enough moment to thing, Freddie tilted her head upward and forced her to make eye contact with him

"Carls, you don't feel like you were pressured into anything, do you?" he asked, looking panicked. "Because that was never my intent-"

"No! Freddie, I definitely don't feel forced! You gave me an opportunity to back out, remember? Trust me, this was mutual."

Freddie relaxed a little bit. "Then what's wrong?"

Carly sighed. "It's just that… Tuesday we were just friends. You broke up with your girlfriend Wednesday and we hooked up that same night-"

"-'hooked up?'" Freddie repeated, lifting his head a little. "I think what happened between us that night was a little more meaningful than a simple hook-up."

"I don't mean to say that it was meaningless," Carly back-tracked. "I just mean that we spent more time kissing than we did talking. Two days later, we decide to get into a relationship, then two days after THAT we can't rip off each other's clothes fast enough. Freddie, we managed to jump from friendship to sex in a matter of five days!"

"Some would find that impressive," Freddie smirked.

"I find it kind of fast," Carly admitted with a worried expression.

Freddie gathered Carly in his arm and rolled them over so that he was on his back. She settled on top of him, her head resting on his chest. He kissed her hair and spoke.

"I'm sorry if I've been letting things spin out of control," Freddie began, "I guess I never saw it as moving quickly, but making up for lost time. Carly, we know each other inside out and there's no telling where we would be today if we had just been honest with each other, and ourselves, from the beginning. I love you so much that it's hard to imagine not sharing every aspect of my life with you." He wrapped his arms around her a little tighter and she nuzzled against him a little closer, feeling the vibrations his voice caused to his chest.

"Last night was unbelievable, awkward occurrences aside…" Freddie continued, only to trail off at the end.

"Like you kneeing me in the shin?" she recalled with a smile.

"And you sneezing on me, but that's neither here nor there," Freddie chuckled. "Sharing that experience with you was better than anything I could have ever imagined, but please don't think that you have to sleep with me to keep me around. You honestly have my heart, my mind, and my undivided attention for as long as you want it. We can scale this relationship as far back as you'd like and move much slower. I just don't want you to ever have any doubts about us because this…this is meant to be."

Carly couldn't believe how lucky she was in that moment. She wondered how it could have taken her so long to fall for a perfect guy. Before dwelling on it much longer, she lifted herself enough to frame Freddie's face with both hands and place a gentle kiss on his lips.

"I love you so much, babe," Carly sighed. "I just don't want our relationship to be based on a series of heated moments. I want to make sure that we take more time to let our relationship grow and make good decisions, that's all.

"We will, I promise." Freddie puckered his lips and Carly kissed him again. He brushed a strand of her hair out of her face, then gave her a mischievous look.

"For the record, though," Freddie began, his tone flirtatious, "whenever you're ready to repeat last night's activities, I'll be waiting with bells on."

Carly laughed and leaned down to give Freddie another kiss. As she kissed him, a thought popped into her head. She gasped against his lips before disengaging.

"Oh, my God, the sheets! What are we gonna do about the sheets?"

"Ummm, I thought we'd just make the bed up and go on our merry way, really," Freddie shrugged. Carly jumped out of bed and began digging through her things for a random set of pajamas.

"Freddie, we can't just leave the sheets a mess!" she cried, making sure to keep her voice down so that the rest of the house couldn't hear her. "That's not good manners!"

Freddie sat up, laughing at Carly's concern. "Baby, I'm pretty sure having sex in someone else's bed, guest bed or no, counts as 'suckish' in the manners department."

"Still!" Carly countered, wiggling into a pair of green pajama bottoms and snagging the nearest shirt. "We have to clean them before we leave. If I start now, then I can have the bed made up before anyone wakes up. They got in late, I'm sure."

Carly yanked the bedspread right off of Freddie, leaving him exposed.

"Get up," Carly commanded.

"Yes, ma'am!" Freddie responded, impressed by her assertiveness.

"Get some clothes on and help me get these sheets off he bed!"

Freddie threw on the jeans he wore the night before and yanked the fitted sheet off the bed. He balled up the fabric and handed it, along with the flat sheet, to Carly. She carefully opened the door and listened for any awake occupants. When she didn't hear anything, she tiptoed out of the room. She walked by the kitchen in order to get to the laundry nook. As she walked by, a tired voice suddenly came from the kitchen.

" Mornin' Carly."

Carly yelped at the sound of the unexpected voice and turned around to see Sam, Taryn, and Dallas clustered in the kitchen, surrounding a pot of coffee and looking worse for the wear. All three girls stared groggily back at her. Carly wanted to drop the sheets and run back into the room, but it was too late. The girls stared curiously at her, then looked at the sheets, then looked back at her with dawning comprehension. At the sight of her flushed face, all three began to shriek.

"GET IT, GIRL!" Dallas shouted, pounding on the kitchen counter.

"'Me and Carls are really tired' my ass!" Taryn laughed.

"I think I'm going to puke, but I can't tell if that's due to the hangover or you guys making the beast with two backs," Sam moaned, looking truly sick. "Don't bother washing them, I'm burning them as soon as you leave!"

"Stop it, Sam," Dallas chastised. "She won't give us the deets if you keep busting her chops!"

"I'm not giving any deets!" Carly cried indignantly. "You guys, this is so embarrassing!"

"No need to be embarrassed!" Taryn assured her. "You're in love, you both looked hot last night…it's totally natural."

"I disagree," Sam interjected. "Humping a nub is never natural, it's a cry for help!"

Carly rolled her eyes and Dallas gave Sam a playful slap on the shoulder.

"Don't listen to her," Dallas said to Carly. "I'm glad you guys got it out of your system. I knew there was a little minx hidden somewhere under all that sugary sweetness." She winked at her, which only caused Carly to blush more as she rushed to the washing machine.

"Well, this is an awesome last impression before we leave," Carly said to herself as she stuffed the sheets into the appliance.

* * *

Everyone surrounded Freddie's car as the housemates prepared to say goodbye to the two visitors. Freddie placed the last bag in the trunk and slammed the door shut. Carly looked over at Freddie, then back at the girls.

"Thank you all so much for allowing us to stay here and hang out with you all!" Carly said with a smile. "We had an amazing time! I'm going to miss you guys and Orlando so much!"

Dallas stepped forward and gave her a hug. "Anytime, Carly. We love you both and we can see why Sam talked so highly of you guys. Come back and party with us again soon, okay?" Carly let go of Dallas and nodded. Carly approached Taryn, who opened her arms and immediately hugged her.

"Bye, hot stuff," Taryn said. "Keep in touch! Hopefully, we'll see you guys in a few months!"

"Absolutely! Bye, Taryn!"

Carly disentangled herself from Taryn's embrace and turned to Sam, who looked sad to see her friend go. The two girls quickly fell into an embrace and clung to each other tightly.

"I love you, cupcake," Sam said in a low tone.

"Love you, too, Sam! I already miss you!" Carly replied, feeling on the verge of breaking into tears.

"Miss you more…and don't you dare start crying!" Sam demanded, though she looked like she was on the verge of tears herself.

Carly choked out a laugh. She expected nothing less of Sam. "Same to you!"

Once they finally let go of each other, Sam turned to Freddie. She walked over to him and fixed him with a tough expression.

"If you even think of hurting that girl," she warned, "I will fly to Washington personally and stomp a hole in your chest that's so deep, they'll have to surgically remove my sneaker from your ribcage. We clear?"

"Crystal," Freddie answered, eyes wide. "And just so you know, I would never dream of hurting Carly. She's truly safe with me, Sam."

"Good," Sam said, her expression normal once again. She stepped forward and gave him a hug. "See you around, Frednerd. Text me when you guys make it home safely, okay?"

Freddie returned the hug warmly. "Will do. Take care of yourself, Puckett."

"Always," she replied, extracting herself from Freddie grip. Freddie went over to the passengers side and opened the door for Carly, who blew Sam a kiss and entered the car. Freddie jogged around and entered on the driver's side.

"I hate leaving," Carly stated simply.

"Me too, baby," Freddie agreed solomly. "But hey, if it's any consolation, I can't wait to spend some quality time with you on the trip back!"

"Yeah, that'll be nice," Carly said with a small smile as Freddie pulled away. Carly looked in the rearview mirror to see the girls waving goodbye to their car. Carly rolled down her window and waved back. Seeing Sam disappear in her mirror tugged at her heart, but she was ready to get back to Tacoma and experience her life with the added element of Freddie as her boyfriend.

"I'm really going to miss waking up next to you each morning," Carly confessed suddenly.

Freddie grabbed her hand and kissed it before intertwining their fingers. "You know you can always sleep at my apartment whenever you want, and if you every need me to come over to your place and stay the night, I'll be there, no questions asked."

Carly liked the thought of sleeping in his bed, wrapped up in sheets that smelled of him.

"And eventually," Freddie continued softly, "whenever you're ready, I mean…maybe we can think about us setting up a sleeping arrangement that's a little more…permanent."

Carly looked over at him and met his eyes briefly before he returned his gaze to the road. She gave him a shy smile.

"You mean like…move in together?" she asked.

"Well, not tomorrow," Freddie clarified with a laugh, "but someday. There's no need to think about it right this moment. Just know that the offer is always on the table, Carls, whenever you're ready."

Carly didn't say anything. She just lifted their conjoined hands and placed a soft kiss on each of his knuckles and looked out the window as the city of Orlando passed by in a blur of flashing lights and long lasting memories.

* * *

With the major change in their relationship and the newly opened line of communication, the trip back to Tacoma did not feel nearly as long as the drive West. They talked about everything: their childhood, their parents, the stresses of college, and even plans for another road trip the following year. Even though she's known Freddie for half of her life, she loved learning new things about him (like his reluctance to meet his father or his desire to work on CGI films) as well as sharing things about herself that she never shared with anyone else (like her fear of large dogs and how she hated all of Spencer's girlfriends when she was younger because she was jealous of how much attention he paid to them instead of her). Over the course of three days they spent the night in a few hotels, where they mostly just held each other in companionable silence. They would get back on the road early in the morning and spend long hours driving, occasionally taking turns. Thanks to Freddie's rigid schedule and Carly's blatant disregard for legal speed limits, they made it back to Tacoma early Friday morning.

When they pulled into Carly's apartment, Freddie turned off the engine and gave an exaggerated sigh.

"I really don't' want to see the inside of a car for a while."

"Same," Carly replied, unbuckling her seatbelt. "God, I can't believe we're back already. It seems like we left just yesterday!"

"Doesn't it?" Freddie agreed, opening his door. "I'll get your stuff inside, sweetie. Can you handle your laptop?"

"Yeah, I'll grab it." She reached in the back and grabbed her computer bag with one hand as she extracted her keys from her purse. She ran to unlock the door so that Freddie could put her stuff down quickly. She entered her apartment and looked around. Though she thoroughly enjoyed herself on the trip, she had to admit that she missed her little place, her bed, and her room. As soon as Freddie put her stuff down, he turned to Carly and wove his hands around her waist.

"Is it pathetic that I'm not ready to leave you just yet after spending over two weeks with you?" he asked before placing a kiss at the tip of her nose, which made her giggle.

"Not at all. I was just about to ask if you wanted to stay here for the night."

"I do," Freddie confirmed with a nod. "I'll get my stuff later. Right now, I just want to crash on your bed."

"Me, too. Let me just get settled in for a bit."

Freddie gave her a quick kiss before heading to her room. She set up her computer on the coffee table and plugged it in. When she turned it on and signed in, she had the urge to log into her SplashFace page, which she hadn't done since she left Seattle. Instead of cruising the page, she decided to put up a quick status update.

_**Carly Shay **__is back in Tacoma safely…and feeling like the luckiest girl in the universe. :o)_

She smiled at what she typed, then closed the laptop. She went to her room and looked at her bed, where Freddie was already asleep. She smiled at her boyfriend as she removed her sandals and climbed into bed with him. As soon as she laid down, Freddie sleepily wrapped an arm around her waist and shifted closer to her, molding his body against hers. Within moments, her exhaustion carried her to sleep

* * *

They were both woken up by the sound of her doorbell. She slowly sat up and looked at her clock. It was 5:23 p.m.

"Are you expecting any visitors?" Freddie ask, his voice raspy from sleeping.

"On our first day back? No, not really."

"Well, I'll get rid of them, then." He got up slowly and made his way to the door. Carly was too curious to remain in her room and followed him out to the living room. When Freddie opened the door, they both got a very unwelcome surprise.

Esther Garvey.

"E-Esther," Freddie stuttered, eyes wide unable to hide his nerves. "Wow. Ummm-"

"Hello to you, too, Freddie," Esther greeted in a biting tone.

"Look, I'm sure there's some things you want to talk about face-to-face," Freddie said firmly, "and I'll be more than willing to do that for you, but right now-"

"Okay, shut up!" she interrupted, raising her voice. "We really don't have anything to discuss. You're an asshole, there's not really much more to expound on."

Carly felt herself get agitated. She didn't care what the circumstance were; nobody was going to get away with talking to her man like that.

"Fine, I deserve that," Freddie said evenly. "If that's the case, then why are you here?"

Esther glared over Freddie's shoulder, directly at Carly.

"I'm here to talk to her."

* * *

** A/N: I hope you guys liked the chapter! Thank you all so much for the continued reviews! As always, I appreciate it.**

**Just wanted to warn you all that the next chapter will be the last chapter of this story, followed by an Epilogue. I really enjoyed writing this story and I feel like we've reached a good ending spot. You can only take a story so far, and I don't want to drag it on too long. I've seen that very thing kill many a good story!**

**Please continue to review and I hope all is well! Enjoy your week!**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	20. Chapter 20

Esther's request to speak to her caught Carly by surprise. Freddie was just as confused.

"Esther, your problem is with me," Freddie sighed. "There's no need for you to talk to Carly."

"What, are you here secretary now?" Esther asked scathingly. "She's a big girl. She can speak for herself, can't she?"

"Look, leave her out of this! Whatever you have to say to her, you can say to me!" Carly could tell that Freddie was getting truly frustrated, as his voice was getting a little louder and the tips of his ears were turning red. Esther looked like she was prepared to retaliate, but all Carly wanted to do was prevent this from turning into a bigger scene than it needed to be. If a talk is what Esther wanted, then a talk is what she would give her.

"It's okay, Freddie, I can talk to her," Carly assured him. She stepped forward to meet Esther at the door, but Freddie blocked her path.

"Baby, you don't have to do this."

"BABY?" Esther yelled. "ARE YOU EFFING SERIOUS?"

"Esther, if you want to talk, we can go outside!" Carly asserted, her voice loud enough to preempt Esther's oncoming rant. She gave a discrete nod to Freddie to let him know that she was ready to deal with his ex on her own. With a pained expression, he moved out of her way and sat on the couch. Carly walked to the door and gestured to the outside.

"Shall we?" Carly asked, eyebrows raised challengingly. Esther pursed her lips, then turned on her heels and walked towards her vehicle. Carly followed.

"So I'm guessing you and Freddie had a great time," Esther said airily.

"We had an amazing time," Carly agreed brusquely.

"I bet you did," Esther continued, "running around the country like a regular Bonnie and Clyde. Holding hands, kissing under sunsets…I bet you both treated it like a good ol' honeymoon, huh?"

Carly sighed. "Okay, Esther, you obviously have a lot to say, so why don't you just go ahead and get it off your chest so that I can enjoy the rest of my evening."

"Oh, so that you can enjoy the rest of the evening with my boyfriend, you mean?"

"No, I mean so that I can enjoy the rest of my evening with your _former_ boyfriend."

Esther stopped walking and gave her a look of pure indignation.

"Wow, you certainly have a lot of nerve," she scoffed. "You're not even the least bit ashamed of yourself for gallivanting around the country with someone else's man?"

Carly could already feel the heat rising in her cheeks. "I wasn't gallivanting around with your man! I went on a trip with my best friend of ten years to see my close friends and family. The fact that he was your boyfriend at the time is irrelevant. Look, do you have any questions or anything that you absolutely need to say to me, because this is already getting a little old."

Carly barely recognized herself in that moment. Usually, Carly would have more patience than this in order for them to find a common ground. This time, however, she was over it. She didn't feel like dealing with drama fresh off of an amazing trip.

Esther narrowed her eyes. "Fine. Are you and Freddie together?"

Carly gave a slight shrug. "Is that really any of your business? You're not with him, so what's the point?"

"The point," Esther began with a small step forward, "is that you were so sweet to my face, but the entire time you were just waiting in the wings for the perfect time to steal my boyfriend! Somehow, I lost to a reclusive bookworm!"

Carly could feel a serious headache approaching and began to rub her left temple in gentle circles. "Okay, first of all…'bookworm?' Seriously, are we in 7th grade?" Carly asked, sounding exasperated. "Second, I didn't steal your boyfriend from you. He's a grown man who's perfectly capable of making his own decisions. If he chose not be with you, then that's a discussion that you need to have with him, not me. And you are aware that being with Freddie is not a part of some competition, right?" Carly placed her hands on her hips. "There are actual human emotions involved. I'm not competing with you for Freddie's affection or anything else."

Esther emitted a bitter laugh. "Carly, you and I have been in competition over Freddie since the beginning and you know it."

Carly had no idea what she was talking about, and she was very close to not caring at all. She hadn't even come to terms with her feelings for Freddie until two weeks prior. How could they have been competing for anything months ago when she didn't even realize how much Freddie was worth fighting for until just recently?

"Esther, I'm really not in the mood for games, so out with it. What are you talking about?"

"Carly, don't play dumb!" Esther shouted. "You've always been jealous of mine and Freddie's relationship! Even if you didn't like him seriously, you were never on board with the idea of us being together, even though you pretended to be. You've had him at your heels since you were kids and didn't even give him the time of day. Then he starts paying attention to me and you couldn't handle it! If you truly wanted him, then you would have had him years ago and he wouldn't have had to look for love somewhere else!"

Esther's observations, though a little overblown, left a bit of a sting. She already felt awful about how much she hurt Freddie in the past. There was no denying that she had been jealous of Freddie's relationship with Esther, but much of that jealousy stemmed from knowing that she was a better fit for him. Esther could never love Freddie like she did, no matter how much she thought she could. Before Carly could say as much, Esther continued.

"You know, you are truly pathetic," she spat, looking absolutely disgusted. "You play this 'damsel in distress' role so well that you have Freddie bring you dinners and renting stupid movies and _driving you across the country _just to stop you from pouting."

"Oh, what's the matter, Esther?" Carly asked with faux concern. "Are you upset because you can't get him to do those things for you?"

"Actually, I can. I'm just too much of a real woman to stoop that low!"

"Nope, that's not it," Carly quickly denied. "I think you're jealous because as much as you tried to, you couldn't outrank a decade-long friendship." Carly took a step closer. "I've never asked Freddie to do any of those things for me, but he did it all anyways because that's what best friends do. I would do the same for him in a heartbeat because I love him more than anything."

"So that give you the right to come between a legitimate relationship?" Esther prompted, her face beginning to turn red.

"Hey, I didn't come between anything," Carly said in a calm voice. "If your relationship was so damn solid, then it should have had no problem standing up against a reclusive bookworm like me."

Esther stood there in silent rage. Carly continued.

"Let me ask you something. Do you know why Freddie's mother is so protective of him?"

The question seemed incredibly random to Esther, so she failed to respond right away.

"It's because Freddie was born prematurely and the doctors thought he would grow up with a compromised immune system. He's fine, but she's still terrified of losing her only son. Do you know why he hates black and yellow stripes?"

"I don't see what any of this-"

"Because they remind him of bees, which he's deathly allergic to. How many kids does he want to have when he's older?"

"Two," Esther rushed to answer, though she didn't look entirely sure.

"Nice try. He'd like to have four. Ideally, two of them would be twins. Oh, and he'd like to start having kids when he's 26, which is the age he'd like to be when he becomes a web developer."

Esther rolled her eyes. "Okay, that's all nice -"

"He has a scar on his left knee that he got when Sam tripped him at our apartment complex's pool five years ago."

"Who cares! I'm just-"

"He loves it when you rub his ears. He says that it relaxes him more than any body massage could! Oh, yes, I found that out through personal experience! It was hot. Be jealous."

"Whatever-"

"If he had to choose between going to a party and getting ice cream, he's going to choose ice cream every time because he's obsessed with banana splits. He tells everyone that his favorite movie is 300, but it's actually A League of Their Own. His biggest fear is becoming a young widow because he's terrified of losing the love of his life before growing old with her. When he was five, he-"

"ALRIGHT!" Esther finally shouted over Carly, her hand running through her hair. "I get it! You know him _really well_! What's your point?"

"My point," Carly yelled, unable to calm down her voice, "is that it took me TEN YEARS to learn all of that. TEN YEARS, Esther. Can you say that? Please, tell me something about Freddie that I don't know."

Esther remained silent, though her eyes were steady with boiling anger toward the brunette standing in front of her.

"Exactly," she said with an air of finality. "We've been through things together that you can't even imagine and he's stood by me willingly and faithfully, even when I didn't deserve it. The love that we have for each other is a decade strong and bottomless so trust me: he didn't need to look for love anywhere else; there was plenty of love between us. The only reason he was with you is because I was too much of a dumbass to be with him sooner. I'm completely head over heels in love with him and I may not ever be able to totally rectify all of the times that I've hurt him in the past, but if I have a say in it, I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying."

They stood in silence, staring each other down. Carly's could feel her adrenaline pumping through her veins. "_There is no rush quite like the one you get when you're fighting for the love of your life,_" she thought as she folded her arms over her chest. She waited with baited breath for Esther's response.

"You know, I honestly cannot wait for the day that Freddie leaves you and comes crawling back to me," Esther stated in a calm, icy voice. "And trust me, he will."

"Hmm. That must be the day that Hell is scheduled to freeze over. I'll make sure to have my camera ready," Carly said unflinchingly. "Now if you'll excuse me, this is cutting into my quality time with my boyfriend, so if there's nothing else…"

Carly wished she had her camera with her now, because the look on Esther's face was that of shock, rage, and incredulity. Instead of saying anything else, she stomped past Carly, nudging her shoulder with her own, and made her way to the driver's side of the car. She hastily opened the door and sat in the seat. Before she closed the door, Esther looked back at Carly.

"Just know that nobody's a bigger bitch than me," she said with an acidic tone. "So I'd watch my back, if I were you."

Carly did the one thing she knew would anger Esther the most: she smiled. "I'd probably take your advice if I had absolutely nothing else to do. Luckily, Freddie has promised to keep me more than entertained for as long as I want him to. Do your worst, Esther. You don't faze me. Have a safe trip home!"

Seething, Esther slammed the door and started the engine. Carly stepped to the side to allow Freddie's ex to back out of the parking space (though she had a sneaking suspicion that Esther would have gladly run her over had she stood in that spot any longer). She watched her rival's car peel out of the parking lot, thankful that she was leaving before things escalated out of control. To her, the showdown was a major victory. As a person who doesn't have a catty bone in her body, Carly felt like she really handled herself well and stood her ground. Normally, she would have gone out of her way to be accommodating in order to avoid conflict. This time she had the confidence to stand up for herself and put herself and her joy first. She didn't know whether that was an ability that came with age or if it was a level of confidence that Freddie instilled in her, but she knew one thing: she planned to celebrate her personal growth with the man that she loved.

She walked back to her apartment and entered to find Freddie sitting anxiously on the couch. Upon seeing her, he stood.

"What happened? Was there slapping involved?" Freddie asked, panicked. "I didn't hear any screaming, so-"

"Ewww, no, there was no catfight" Carly denied, slapping his shoulder playfully. "It was a healthy conversation where I told her, in no uncertain terms, that you were my man and that I wasn't planning on giving you up anytime soon."

A goofy grin spread slowly across Freddie's face, reminiscent of when he was much younger. Carly couldn't help but giggle.

"What's the grin for?" she asked.

"Repeat what you just said," he requested, stepping closer and wrapping his arms around her waist. "You know, the part where you call me your man."

Carly smiled. "I said that you were _my man _and that I was not planning on giving you up. I may have also mentioned that I love you. A lot."

Still grinning, Freddie leaned down and gave Carly a soft kiss and wrapped his arms around her a little tighter. Her hands immediately settled at the nape of his neck. They stood just like that, swaying together and enjoying the feeling of being wrapped up in each other.

Freddie broke the kiss, but remained close. "I love it when you get possessive of me. It makes me feel less bad when I get possessive of you."

"Well, I better not cling to you too tightly," Carly said with raised eyebrows. "You know, Esther claims that you're eventually going to leave me and go crawling back to her. She even warned me to, uh, 'watch my back.'"

"Never," he said, staring into her eyes. "You've always owned my heart. It has your name on it, so nobody's able to steal it."

Carly suddenly felt light with unadulterated happiness. "That was soooo sweet…and soooo corny."

Freddie laughed and lightly pinched her rear. "And soooo true," he mocked. "And as far as your back goes, don't worry about that. I'll always watch that for you."

She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss.

"Love you," Freddie said.

"Love you, too. And I'm nowhere near as tired as I felt before. Do you feel like going out tonight?"

"I could. What about the bar close to campus? My treat, clearly," Freddie suggested.

"Hmmmm," Carly mused jokingly. "Fredward Benson. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to get me drunk."

"Oh, I am! I've seen you drunk. Highly entertaining, to say the least."

The teasing smile on Carly's face abruptly disappeared. "Oh, God. What do you mean by 'entertaining?'"

Freddie gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead. "It's a long story. Just remind me one day to tell you the story about how you almost gave a very revealing strip tease in front of Gibby's entire frat."

"WHAT?" Carly hollered with wide eyes. At that, Freddie sprinted away towards Carly's bedroom.

"Freddie, get the hell back here! WHAT STRIP TEASE?"

She chased after the laughing male, determined to get the full story and, subsequently, find a way to convince him to keep the story a secret. As she finally caught up with him and tackled him to the bed, she thought of more than a few fun ways to keep him quiet.

As she pinned him to the bed and glanced down at his grinning face, Carly reflected on how unforgettable their trip had been and wondered if they would have still ended up together if Freddie hadn't broken into her apartment that fateful day and dragged her out the door with him.

Luckily for them, they would never have to find that out.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you all so much for reading my story! I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I loved writing it! This was my first multi-chapter, continuous story and it was a bit of a challenge, but it was entirely worth it. The support I've received from you all has been such an inspiration. I love you all so much!**

**I'm hoping to post the epilogue sometime Saturday. Fingers (and toes) crossed!**

**Have a great weekend!**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


	21. Epilogue

Freddie rolled over in the large king size bed and opened his eyes. For some reason, he found it hard to remain asleep, even though he had endured a long day. When he reached over he immediately realized why he was having such trouble sleeping: the other side of the bed was cold and empty.

"Not again," he groaned to himself as he sat up and swung his feet to the ground. He looked at the clock on the neighboring nightstand.

1:01 AM.

"She can't be serious," he marveled aloud, rubbing his bleary eyes. He hopped out of the bed and quietly made his way to the lit living room. He couldn't hear anything and wondered if she was actually there. As he approached closer to big armchair in the corner of the room, he could see her leaning back against the chair with her feet propped up on the accompanying foot rest. Just like the past three night he had found her out here, she was fast asleep, clutching her wedding planner notebook to her chest. Reminiscent of their sophomore year (about four years ago), she was surrounded by a half-eaten tin of Pringles and a few empty cans of Red Bull. The sight of the Red Bull and Pringles brought a smile to his face as his recollection was assaulted with visions of their college days.

"_I guess some things truly don't change_," Freddie thought as he knelt down next to the chair she was sleeping in. He didn't want to wake her up, but he didn't want her sleeping out in the living room instead of in their bed. Besides, he found in very difficult to sleep without her. He leaned over her and gently kissed her cheek. She stirred slightly, but didn't wake up.

"Hey there, pretty," he said softly in her ear. "Come to bed."

She shifted a little more before, very slowly, opening her eyes. A small smile crept on her face at the sight of her fiancé. "Mmmm…what time is it?"

"It's one in the morning," he replied softly, "and I would just love it if I could fall asleep with my future wife in my arms."

Carly sat began to sat up and yawned. "Babe, there's just so much to do. I need to get some of these things done and I'm cutting it so close already. I have to address all of these invitations and figure out our schedules so that we can meet with the vendors and I haven't even begun to look for a hotel for the guest yet -"

"Carly-"

"And I need to research some car rental places in Seattle-"

"Carly!" Freddie cried over Carly's ranting. He knew her too well: if he had let her continue, he knew it would eventual spiral into a panic attack. "Sweetie, we still have a few months, and all of this will certainly be here tomorrow. Just come to bed. You've barely gotten any sleep in the past couple of days."

Carly set down her notebook and rubbed her eyes before running her hands through her hair. "I know, I know. It's just…I don't know. Why didn't anyone warn me that weddings were such a nightmare?"

"Maybe because we're the first out of our friends to have a real wedding," Freddie smirked. "Taryn and Jax went to the courthouse for their's before anyone even knew they were engaged and Gibby's engagement went south almost as soon as it happened."

"That could have been due to her secret stash of voodoo dolls…and her claim of being abducted by aliens disguised as the cast of Skins."

Freddie laughed. "Yeah, Beth was fun. So, I guess it's our job to send out the warning once this is all over."

Carly's face fell. "It's just that sometimes it feels like it'll never end. It's all I think and stress about these days. I can't even focus at work sometimes because I worry about how we're going to pay for this or when will I find the time to do that. As soon as one things taken care of, another thing crops up. You grooms have it so easy," she finished enviously.

It killed Freddie to see Carly overworked and stressed, especially for something that was supposed to be joyous, like their wedding. Seeing her like this reminded him of the period just before they started dating, as well as Carly's epic job search before she landed a job on the Marketing team at Qwest Field. She had gotten much better at maintaining her stress since they've been together, but there were times like this when it was just hard to pull her out of work mode.

"Carls, you have people who are more than willing to help you, like Sam, Wendy, Dallas, Taryn…even Spencer and I can help you. All you have to do is ask."

"Well, it's not just that," she started. "It's the little things, too, you know? Like how the officiate we wanted fell through and how the invitations got mixed up and the church's crazy requirements. I just want everything to be perfect and traditional and nothing is falling into place as it should."

Freddie stood up and nudged her over so that she made room in the arm chair for him to squeeze in beside her. She quickly scooted under his arm and wrapped hers around his middle, resting her head against his chest. Freddie embraced her closely and buried his nose in her hair, inhaling the light lavender scent of her shampoo.

"I hate to break it to you," he said in a low voice, "but nothing about us has been traditional up to this point. Us getting together on a road trip shortly after I had broken up with She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Uttered, not even going on a first date until a month afterwards, me proposing after making love for hours…which is certainly not a story we can post on the wedding website," Freddie added as an afterthought, which earned him a pinch on his side. "The point is that, maybe, this is fate's way of steering us away from the traditional. We just need to go with the flow and let the chips fall where they may."

Carly looked up at him curiously. "Look at you, talking about 'fate!' That's not really your thing."

Freddie shrugged. "I think being around you almost fourteen years may have finally rubbed off on me."

Carly chuckled lightly. She was then struck with a particular memory.

"Hey, you remember that night during the road trip when we were at Sam's and someone tried to break into her house?"

"Mmm hmm," Freddie replied. "So scary, so random."

"Yeah, it was. I never told you this, but…I was planning on telling you that I had fallen in love with you that night. Sam convinced me that I should after we had a long talk about it. When the break-in happened, I thought it was fate's way of telling me that I shouldn't tell you, like it was wrong to fall for you or something."

Freddie wasn't terribly surprised by her reveal. Carly was always a worrier and he knew that she had been hesitant about approaching a relationship in the beginning, with good reason.

"Oh, yeah?" he prompted. "What made you change your mind?"

Carly snuggled closer. "It was the look on your face when you checked on me. The concern, the love, the protectiveness…I just knew that loving you was right. I'm glad I didn't misinterpret all of that craziness."

"You and I, both," Freddie smiled. "Baby, I just want you to know that the wedding and the details and all the hard work you're putting in is appreciated, but the only thing that I care about is the end result. I just want us to be married, and I don't care how that comes about. In all honesty, I can marry you in the back alley behind a Thai restaurant and I wouldn't mind at all. As long as I get to finally call you Mrs. Fredward Benson, it'll be the best day of my life."

Seeing the adoration in Carly's eyes warmed his heart to no end. He meant every word that he said. He loved her, and nothing in the world, not even the DJ failing to show up or the wrong tux, could distract from that.

Carly tipped her head upward and placed a firm kiss on his lips. Every time they kissed it felt like the first time to him: like electric sparks shooting from his heart to his toes. She had told him once that kissing him made her feel like they were floating. To him, it felt like soaring at a thousand miles per hour, straight to the moon. He knew he sounded incredibly foolish saying things like that, but he didn't care. Freddie always said that love made fools out of everyone.

When they separated, Freddie said the first thing that came to his mind.

"Let's elope."

Carly bolted upright. "WHAT?"

"You heard me," Freddie said, keeping his calm composure. "Let's elope. Vegas? Atlantic City? Hey, Miami! That would be kind of cool."

Carly rolled her eyes. "Okay, Freddie, I know I've been a little crazy lately, but I promise I'll try to maintain my stress a little better."

"Oh, I'm glad to hear that, babe, but I'm serious. Think about it." He got up from the chair and moved the foot rest out of the way so that he could kneel down directly in front of her. "This wedding is supposed to be about us, right? Just us with our closest friends and family. I can count all the people that absolutely need to be there on two hands, and I don't even need all ten fingers. Carly, baby, our guest list is _130 people long_! Out of control!"

Carly looked at him sheepishly. "You know how hard it was to cut that list down to even that number!"

"I know, I know, but I'm saying that anything outside of you, me, a preacher, mom, your father, Spencer, Sam, -"

"And Wesley," Carly interjected, mentioning Sam's long time boyfriend.

"Sure," Freddie conceded, "Gibby, Dallas and Taryn are just frills. Extra stuff. This wedding has become so consumed with the extra stuff and I don't want it to end up consuming your sanity. We can go anywhere you want and just do it. We can't get most of the deposits back, but I don't care. I considered that money long gone, anyhow."

"Freddie," Carly sighed, sounding exasperated. "This sounds so insane. And seriously? Again with this? Every time I get a little stressed out, you suggest that we leave the state. Is my perfectionism that bad to deal with?"

Freddie had to laugh at that. He hadn't even realized the parallels this suggestion had with the one that caused the legendary road trip years ago.

"Well, it worked last time, didn't it?"

"So every time things get hard, we're supposed to just run away?" Carly challenged with a raised eyebrow.

"As long as we're together when we're running, then I'm fine with that."

He saw Carly's resolve soften. "Still, babe, eloping? That's so sudden and so unrealistic-"

Freddie cut her off with a kiss to her lips. Then he pulled back just slightly and waited for her to lock her brown eyes with his. Then he took one of her slender hands in both of his large ones.

"Carly," he began, with an air of seriousness. "Let's just go."

Carly tilted her head back and laughed, immediately recognizing the notable line that convinced her to join him on that fateful trip. "Oh, don't you dare, Fredward Benson!"

"I want to hop in my car-"

"Stop that RIGHT NOW!" Carly demanded.

"-and get on the road," he continued over her, trying to hold back his laughter, "no itineraries, no schedules-"

"-you're such an ass," Carly said while slapping his shoulder repeatedly.

"-Just a bag, my wallet, a map, eight to ten of our closest friends and family-"

"-you've lost it!" Carly cried incredulously.

"-and you, Carly Shay, in the passenger's seat. Or sitting next to me on the plane. It's up to you."

Carly shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe you'd recycle that speech! It was sweet the first time, but now it's just wrong."

Freddie laughed. "Well, I meant it the first time and I mean it now. I'm serious, Carls, let's just go for it. I can take off work and work on things remotely from wherever we end up, if I need to," he assured her. As an app developer for a software company, he had the luxury of portability with his work. "You're overdue for a vacation and it would allow us to focus on what's really important, which is us finally becoming what I've wanted us to be since I was ten: husband and wife. The Bensons. That's it, Carly, that's all I want."

He hoped that Carly understood how sincere he was being. He squeezed her hand so that she could understand how serious he was about this. It wasn't anything that he had been planning or even thinking about before that night, but he meant it just the same.

She looked at him intently, as if she was searching for something in his eyes. She gazed at him in intense silence for what seemed like forever. After a long moment, she leaned in slowly and gave him a soft, slow kiss. She pulled back with a serene smile.

"Let's go to bed tonight. We'll pack our bags in the morning."

_THE END_

* * *

**A/N: As I write this, this story has 300 reviews and an awesome amount of Favorite and Alert adds. To say that you guys are incredible would be a gross understatement! I cannot thank you all enough for making this a successful experience for me! As a person who's only been writing for a couple of months, I'm ridiculously blessed by you all!**

**I just want to address a couple of things:**

**1.) I'm going to be taking a brief break from writing to read a few stories (as writing kind of monopolizes the free time for such pleasures), as well as take the time to learn some new techniques and sharpen my writing. I've grown to really care about writing and I want to do it justice, even if it's kind of a hobby. I'm not taking a break from the site though, so feel free to message me!**

**2.) A good many of you have suggested a sequel. While I am definitely not ruling it out, I want to work with some new concepts, as well. I just want to try different things and challenge myself. I'm also open to suggestions, as some of you have already thrown some really awesome ideas at me! I did, however, make sure to write the story so that it would allow for a sequel, if I decide to revisit the concept.**

**3.) I would be remiss if I didn't take a moment to thank you guys (deep breath): Carl Rahl (I'm pretty sure he was the first one to review each chapter and has been supportive of each of my stories. I dig you immensely!), RemDiamond (Another person who has supported me since I started writing. Can't thank you enough), sockstar (my "sexy time" supporter! Ha!), Snapplelinz (the author who actually inspired me to write! S/N:If you haven't read Bonded or any of her other work, do so NOW!), LanternFan (I'm just going to say it: my favorite reviewer), iLove iCarly Creddie, sweetStarre123, SammyVD, CrEdDiE fAnAtIc, Pixlet, Imaris, ItWasByMe97, Cobalt45, iCreddie4real, M [dot] Maciejewski(Hey, buddy!), Boris Yeltsin (who has some very cool ideas!), cameddie, koooohl, Justifye (such a sweet supporter!), i am number fourteen, Naomilovescreddie (Yay, Holland!), CooShyRee, PSYCHO. Kung-Fu-Dancerr, onlythatdaydawns, Shealtiel, Disneysara7771, poisonivy34 (another amazing author!), ficpants, michaelfanfic, sofarawayfromwhereyouare (wonderful new Creddie writer!), Amy788 (such an awesome supporter since I began writing), Poetic[dot]blue(I LOVE open-minded Seddie fans! Check out her iCarly blog!), Mr. BG, PowerdButtercupFan, EllaLewis, SirMorgan19, mrmuscle, x0lindsey0x93, Eboni J. Donahue, storycrazy22, Waffle-Love (who always makes me crave waffles. Every damn time), Kolo14, courtney4713, TStar14, Shaai.0, Mizmal BTR Fan, ShimmerPrincess, AryaAliceLuna, LHath08, meastarlight, ILYinklingILY, DinkyLinkygirl, hedayasamy, drawingtoaclose, redlox2, iHeartCreddie, and finally maddie1324. Yes, I thanked everyone by name, if you're still reading this, because every single review inspired me to continue writing. In addition, everyone who added this story to their Favorites or Alerts: thank you all soooooo much! You've all just been extremely kind and I'm fortunate for all of you!**

**If you haven't already, check out some of my other stories!**

**Alright, I am finally out of things to say. Again, thank you all!**

**Hollaatchyagirl,**

**Phunky**


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